Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-13
Political Observations, for Republican
Legislators to Consider.


Mr.. Editor: Before the recent cleo
ton your correspondent in his articles
did what he could to show what he con-
sidered the ImpoIItic position occupied
by the prohibitionists as an independent
party, and at the same time it must
have been apparent to everyone that he
desired to promote the cause of tie mper-
ance by what he considered the most
practicable means without surrendering
the underlying principles of the Repub-
lican party. He did not ignore the
temperance question in politics as, he
is sorry to say, some of the Republican
speakers and newspapers did, but tried
to meet the question fairly as deserving
at least equal consideration with other
social and economic questions of public
policy and interest. There is no use
trying to dodge the question for it has
undoubtedly come before the American
people to stay until settled favorably
some way or other 1t is idle and suicid-
al for the Republicans in this state to
delude themselves by concluding that
the Prohibition party has ceased to be
an important political factor. simply be-
cause the extravagant expectations of
that party were not realized at the late
election. 1t is safe to say that there
were at least $4,000 genuine Prohibition
voters in this state on last election day,
and the most potent reason for the fact
that there were not that many third
party Prohibition votes cast, must be
explained by concluding that two-thirds
of those voters accepted the Republican
professions of temperance reform in
good faith. Now that election is over
and that there will be no further call for
an expression of opinion at the polls for
nearly two years, the Republicans will
be inclined to forget that their temper
ance professions had anything to do
with the comparative smallness of the
prohibition vote this year. In the hour
of apparent victory people are inclined
to rejoice without giving much thought
as to how the victory was won, but the
same professions cannot be successfully
INDUCED in very often unless there be
demonstrated some tangible results to
show that the claims are honest and not
mere campaign clap-trap designed to
catch votes. The victory itself is SIM
ply such for the present and as far as
present results are concerned; and, far
from being brought about by the Re-
publicans themselves, it was only made
possible by an unusual and unforeseen
demonstration which did not enter into
the prediction calculations of the Re-
publicans. 1t must be apparent to ev-
cry intelligent observer, no matter what
his political affiliations may be, that
had there been no determined indie
pendent labor movement in the eastern
portion of the state, particularly in Mil
waukee, that the Democratic party
would have been successful at the polls.
The Republicans were indirectly aided
by Democratic votes which acted as an
offset to the Prohibition vote. This is
not likely to happen again, for if the
labor movement figures as an independ-
no fo IN
doubtedly spread all over the state and
will probably draw as many votes from
one of the great parties as the other;
and if in the meantime the Republican
party lies supinely on its back and let's
the temperance party take care of itself,
the latter will develop surprising growth
and activity while the former will pre-
sent such cadaverous appearance as
to suggest the ACCESSIBILITY of looking
for an undertaken. If, however, the
Republican party does something that
will give reasonable assurance that
its temperance professions are genuine,
the conditions will be reversed, i. e..
the Prohibition party will hunt up a
graveyard while the Republican party
as far as this question is concerned will
be in a progressive condition and only
needs TO demonstrate its fitness to
properly handle the labor question in
order TO secure an indefinite lease of
power. just what ought to be done it
is not the province of this article to
state, although the writer may have