The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-10
ANTI-sALooN REPUBLTcANIsM.

4
| ANTI-SALOON REPUBLICANISM.
| Prohibftionists Who Think More of Their
/ Third Party than of Their Principle.
| Law and Order Boston Temperance Paper)
| Any sincere reformer would be hard to suit If
no. satisfied with the following temperance
| plank from the platform of the Vermont Repub-
| lican State convention. This is it:
| Resolved, That we deulore the multiform evils of
intemperance we reaffrm the position of the Repub
lcan party in this State that question, and de-
clare that in opinion, the prohibition of the liquor
traffic expressed in statutes be and should
main the settled policy of the State that the liquor
saloon is as debasng in politics as it is banefu in So
| cia life, the Republican party should everywhere
ject ell overtures for open and secret alliance with it,
and that the State committee this day appointed be in
stFucted to select delegates to represent this State in
the coming national anti saloon conference which has
| been called to meet in Chicago.
The New York Tribune says, very nertinently,
| in commenting upon this:
| ''Ths, it will be observed, is distinct recog-
| milton of the anti saloon Republican movement
| recently started in New Jersey. 1t puts the
! Vermont Republicans squarely in opposition to
| the saloon element commits the party against
''al oyertures for open or secret alliances with
| it," and links the State organization formally
| with the new movement by instructing the State
| committee to choose delegates to represent Yer
mont in the coming national anti-saoon confer
| ence. And in this way one OF the contentious
| of the Prohibition organs Is met and silenced"
| Will the Prohihitionists of Vermont heartily
| indorse this plank, or, as In Maine, adopt sep
aratc platform and set up an independent ticket?
| We can see no consistency in the action of the
Maine Prohibitionists. The Republican party
| had adopted aud measurably enforced prohibi-
| ton. The Prohibitionsts themselves say that
| the records Of courts, the deposits in savings
| banks, the small proportion of taxes collected by
| the United States authorities. the total Gestruc
| ton of the manufacture OF alcoholic drinks in
the State. and the vast increase of sentiment in
favor of total abstinence shows that Maine leads
| in the reform, and in quarter of a century IN
| advance of the license States"
With go much accomplished and a great party
| in ajority pledged to such enforcement the
| people would sanction, it would appear, to judge
| by ordinary rules, the only remaining thing to
do would be to constantly educate toward better
| enforcement. Our third party friends accuse
| the Republicans of hide bound partisanship.
| There must be large beam in some ones eye.
| The impartial observer must reasonably con-
| clude that Prohbtionists think moro of their
/ pet third party than of the principle of prohi-
bition. There are doubtless some dis
| gruntled Republicans in Maine, as elsewhere,
and this third party may succeed in securing
enough of them to carry the State over to the
| free-rum Democracy. If they successful
they will succeed in doing just this. They have
| done it elsewhere and glorisd in it. We cannot
see wherein prescription and alienation of Re-
| publicans naturally prohibition in. theory and
| largely in practice, as the evidence shows, will
| tend to the enforcement of restriction. Human
nature may not be the same in Maine as else
where. Possibly since the Maine Prohibition
| lists, in convention assembled. expressed graft
| tude to God, to whom, it was declared. I'VE
look for help in our baltic against unrighteous,
ness" the Republicans will lovingly fall upon
| the necks of their brethren and more
| warmly than ever devote themselves TO the
| enforcement of honest prohibition. 1t will
| never enter the simple minds of these Maine Rs
publcans, who have for quarter of q century
| favored prohibition as a matter of course, be-
| cause lt~was simply just and right, that this
| third party organized in their midst was done 81
! the behest OF vain POLITICAL marplots of othe.
States to increase their party prestige. There is
| a good Republican majority IN both Iowa and
| Vermont It is matter of small moment that
| they favor and exeinplify prohibition The third
| party must be had. That will be sup2emely i'm.
| portant, particularly as it will antagonze the
| Republican party. 1t will be remembered that
| there was an important question recently before
| the New York Legislatures The Republicans were
nearly unanimous ia approving the submission
/ of the question of constitutional amendment
to the vote of the people of that great State.
/ With an approximating degree of union on the
part of the temperance organization and the
| temperance people in the preceding election, a
/ sufficient majority could have been secured to
have carried the question in the Legislature in
/ spite of the opposing Democrats. We are con-
strained to believe that, however sincerely and
earnestly certain class may favor such leglsla-
| lation, they are not willing to accept it at the
| hands of the Republican party. This is illogical
| on the part of those who make so loud a profess
/ sion of reform. But it may be understood when
| we remember that the majority OF these profess
| sional reformers were originally Republicans
who left the party for variety of
reasons and that the idea OF q third
| party has become SO dominant. Many
| are no doubt sincere in believing that a third
| party, irrespective of any contingent circum
stances is the only key to the situation Talk
| with such persons moment and they will i'm
medjately quote many historical parallels illus
/ trating the decadence of this or that political
| party which had outliyod its usefulness and had
| to make way for another heralding an era of
new issues. 1t is little singular that it is al
ways the Republican party that must be buried,
/ Notwithstanding the fact that it is juvenile in
| age as compared with the Democratic party, and
| that there is no flaw in the contrasting 'paral
lels. 1t must not be forgotten. also, that every
! local prohibition organization has its "organ."
/ The third party sentiment is the only excuse for
the existence of many of these journals. This
| influence should not be moderated.
| We have alluded to the lack of union among
| temperance organizations processing the same
| cardinal principles. They cannot be united be-
! cause of their inconsistency. Malice and vanity
| are not fitting attributes of those who pose as
| martyrs likening themselves (another parallel)
| to the prosecuted Abolitionists. Lot US all
rejoice when either the Democratic party Of
/ the South or the Republican party of the
| North adopt prohibition as one Of their
/ essentian principles If we had not already writ
! ten at such length we would remind certain
| elias that the party favoring high license in
| this or that section do so, sincerely believing
that many evils will be lessened thereby, as they
! certainly are and would be to even much