New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-10
Tile. MAINE CANT1S&.

credit for honesty On the tariff ISSUE. MI
p1sbury. DR.. Garcclon and other OF their
sneakers are devoting themselves almost ex-
clnsively to assaults on the protective tariff.
In This work they have the assistance Of st.
John and the third party Prohibition speakers,
and OF Mr.. Ralph Beaumont and others who
assume to speak for the workingmen. The COM
bined assaults of this alliance against the pro-
tcctive tariff show the devious ways in which
the Free Traders are at work. The success OF
their efforts in 1884 has evidently inspired them
with the hope that by encouraging side issues
they may ultimately overthrow the tariff and
open the markets of this country to their
friends in England. Hence the Democratic and
Mugwump newspapers are doing everything
possible to assist st. John in his alleged prohlni-
ton campaign.
No doubt there are honest temperance men
who are mislcd by the third party movement.
But this cannot be said of men like st. John
who are paid $50 night for speeches In
Maine against the Republican party and
the protective tariff. There are thirty-two
States which have neither statutory nor con-
stitutional prohibition. Maine has both.
Without an amendment to the Constitution
Congress cannot pass prohibitory liquor law
Men having the interests OF the temperance
cnuse at heart would not waste their time In
Maine, which has shown itself favorable 10
such an amendment, while there are thirty-two
States that have not even passed State law
m the subject We must look for other reasons
for the presence in Maine of these imported
third party speakers. They can lie found IN
their speeches. st. John devOtes much OF his
| AVID thoR n
leaders. while occasionally pervertlng history
by such monstrous assertions as this In regard
to parties in that State: 'The Democratic
partv has done very little against prohibition
and the Republican party very little for prohbl-
ton" The Democratic party in Maine as else
where is outspokcn against prohibition. 1t OPP
| posed the law now In force in Maine. and OF the
thirty amendments that have been made to the
| original act, at the request Of the temperance
leaders, the Democrats have consistently opposed
them all. The cloven foot in st. Johns case
is disclosed in his attacks on the party which
passed and has upheld this prohibitory law,
while he has only soft words for the party that
is opposed to the law and in his attacks on the
tariff which is a cardinal principle Of Republican
faith.
If the prohititory law is failure in Maine,
rs these hired speakers declare, on what ground
will they urge the passage of snch laws in other
States These alleged Prohibitionsts, by their
extraordinary course in Maine, are doing more
to iniure the cause they profess to have at heart
than they can do good in the remainder of their
natural lives. They find it necessary now to
declare the Maine law a practical failure, In
order to excuse their presence in the State.
And yet the Prohibitory party convention which
met in Portland before these imported speakers
reached Maine, bore this testimony 30 the good
results of the law:
Hesored That the OF Maine courts the depos
the savings banks of Maine as compared with other
States the small proportion collected by the United
states for the sale Of liquors Name the total
manufacture OF alcoholic drinks throughout
the State and the favor OF total
generation growing up nndebauched 10y
legalized saoons-a that Maine proudly claim 10
lead in this REFORM she is quarter OF century
ahead of States which license this gigantic crime
1t is in this State, which they declare Is "a
Quarter of a century ahead " of thlrty-two
others, that these so-called Prohibitonsts arc
| at work to defeat the party which has placed
| Maine thus in advance Of the others. If they
were successful the enforcement of the law
| would be left TO party which declares itself
hostile 10 it. While some Of these men are
| deludcd. there can be no question that the
| leaders cannot thus be excused. Their course
! is ndefensiblc. But they do not represent the
temperance sentiment of the State. 1t gave
nearly 10000 votes for constitutional prohibl-
| ton at the last State election, but the third
| party candidate for Governor received only
| l,1OO Ex-Governor Morrill,, President Cheney
| and others of the men who secured to Maine
its prohlbitory law, arc out in letters declaring
| the third party movement to be "a fatal mis-
| take" The honest temperance men OF Maine
will not hesitate to follow the advice of these
true and tried leaders in preference to the men
who came into the State under pay at $50
night to advise them in the interest of the
Democratic party.
Maine owes its prosperity to the protective
tariff. Nearly every village has its manufac
tory which gives employment to a large number
of persons and creates home market for the
product of the farms If the Democrats and
their allies were to succeed in repeating the
tariff thousands who now find employment
there would either have to 90 elsewhere or
accept the starvation wages paid in Europe
The people of Maine appreciate these facts,
and the indications point to a decisive Rcpub-
ican victory at the polls next Monday.
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