The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-08-05
A THORN In IT'S SIDE.
The Relation of Iowa's PrOhfbitory
Law to the Republican Party in
that state.

Law to the Republican Party in
that State.
There is no state in the union that is at
tracing so much attention from the other
states Just now as Iowa The enactment
OF the recent prohibitory law there has
brought the Hawkeye state into distinct
prominence from the fact that the issue
is one which has been more or less ag
it atcd in many of the other states, and
there is naturally great deal of curios
ity, and in many instances anxiety mani
tested in the outcome of the laws adop.
ton in Iowa. While on trip through
the state few days ago, an ARGUS rep
resentative was enabled to investigate to
some extent the working of the law, and
while it is difficult as yet to ascertain
Just how far the law is succeeding in
the direction of It's design, its effect upon
the republican party by whom it was in
troduced to the people of Iowa, and en-
gineered to a place upon the statute
books, is apparent.
IN the interior cities and towns, the
law is rigidly enforced, though just with
out the city of Atlantic and in one of the
most fanatically prohibitions of the
state, a brewery is running at full
blast under permit from the board of
supervisors of Cass county. A warfare
upon the institution has been inaugurat>
ed, however. and the prospects
are that it will eventually be
closed up. Council Bluffs is prob
badly the only city on the western
border where the law is openly violated.
That city. with Davenport and Dubuque,
completes the list of cities where a suc>
cessful effort is yet to be made to enforce
the measure The prohibitionists of the
interior are still undecided as to what
course to pursue in bringing these
cities to lime, but it is certain that some
plan of action will be adopted and at
| tempted, though with what success will
be seen. The prohibitIonists believe that
| it is in the larger cities that the law is
most needed, and that there will be some
means ofbringing about its enforcement
IN those places where it is now ignored
That the republican party in Iowa,
has gotten itself into tight place by
taking the prohibitary matter upon its
shoulders, is apparent from conversation
with leaders of the party itself in the
exterior of the state. A politician here
tofoIe one of the promoters of prohibit
ion said to the reporter while at Red
Oak;
IF Governor Larrabee should call a
session of the legislature this fail and is,
sue proclamation stating that the law
had been failure 10 the big cities and
recommend license law instead, it is
probable that it might reverse the major
ties in the eastern counties of the state
and give the republican party its former
prestige. The longer the law stands, the
more damage it is is doing the republican
party and though | was once in favor OF
the law, | am now opposed to it, from
the fact that the party has almost killed
itself by adopting it. and to allow it to
remain is simply political suicide"
In the town of GrIswold, a leading re-
publican was interviewed, and said:
Though the law has proved q fizzle as
far as its general enforcement is con
cerned, aud a serious detriment to the re
publican party. it will not do now to DROP
it, If we do, the prohibition party vii
organize independently, and it is the pro
hibtiOn element that is represented
in the controlling party of the state. L
we lose the prohibitionsts, we lose GU
control of the state As it is, it is all W,
eau 10 10 prevent tHeu kuiVluS US III tu'
state rs they did in national politics, anC
helped beat Blaine with st. John. W
have taken them into the family aud hav
got to stand by them
Here are the two sides of the case, an'
from these expressions of sentiment, !
will be seen that the republican party il
Iowa has very much the appearance o
being in hot water; is is six of one art
half a dozen of the other. whether th
t party maintains its relatio n to prohibitio
or not. Sooner or later it is bound TO e
to pieces upon the rock of prohibition
where the drift of political indiscretio
S has carried it.