The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-08-27
Temperance.
The Growth of Prohibition Senti-
menC,

How mistakenly those reasoned who
said, your party methods can do moth
ing for the cause of temperance until
your party comes into power; the cause
must wait until then. These reasoners
have blundered again. They overlook.
ed the fact that the growth of the Pro-
hibition party would lift up public SEN
timent in all parties. This has been
the result. The growth of this party
has forced the Republican party to take
continually more and more advanced
positions, and old hide-bound and whis-
key-soaked Democrat party of the North
been has forced ;long the same line,
and mirabie dictu, the liquor sellers
themselves have felt the lifting sea, as
in Pennsylvania, where they are on the
High License plane. "But" cried the
non partisans, "if tens Of thousands Of
the most advanced temperance men
abandon the Republican for the new
party it will leave the Republican party
Just that much weaker as temperance
party" So it would seem, but so it
hasn't proved. Just in proportion as
the temperance men of earnest convict
ton lett that party because of its doub-
le.dealiug and insincerity, the attention
of those who remained behind was
forced to this issue, and they leveled
up so that more and better legislation
and more efficient enforcement of tenn
perance laws have been secured through
the Republication party, just in proper
ton as Prohibition party advocates
have seeded from its ranks, and their
loss has been made up by the lifting of
temperance men up and out of the
Democratic party, some'of them enter
ing the Republican party and more the
Prohibition party. The lifting is along
the whole line. Recall few facts.
Last. week the Democrat State Con-
vention in Indiana resolved that the
Democratic party was
"In favor of just and proper measures
for regula ting the traffic f intoxicating
liquor under license system designed
to repress the evils of intemperance,
and that it favors reasonable increase
of the license tan, discriminating be.
tceen malt liquor and acines and dis.
hlled spsrlts.'
Now that is about the level of the
Church Temperance Society's High
License platform. 1t didn't take them
long to catch up with brother Graham
and DR.. Crosby. The last Democrat
State Convention in Iowa declared in
favor of Local Option. In Oregon the
Democrats pledged in favor of the sub,
mission of Prohibition to the people, so
also in Tennessee. The Democratic
party throughout the country in two
short years has been lifted to about the
temperance plane which was occupied
until lately by the Republican party,
while the latter party has gone up
higher. Such las been the lifting pow
er of the agitation forced upon the ma
ton by the organization and growth
of the Prohibition party.
Those who are still skeptical as to
the advance Of public sentiment among
Northern Democrats should read the
speech lately delivered at Democratic
County Convention in Ohio, by Judge
Thomas, one of the best known and
most influential Democrats in the State,
if not in the nation. The Judge offer
ed resolution committing the Demo-
crat party in favor of Prohibition
submission plank, and said:
"The Democrat party of Mahoning
County should not be the last. hnt
should be am, ne the first t. take hol}
of the living issues OF the hour. This
resolution meets family great quest.
ion-one that is before the people Of
this State, AMI must be met, and th"
delegates this day selected to att, n |
the State Democratic] Convention
should be in position to join in the
effort that will be made to place the
great Democratic party Of Ohio on the
right side in the impending and newt
able confict-a conflict as inevitable as
the election in the ides Of November.
The great political parties Of this State
yes, l may say, OF the country-have
for years been pandeling to the vote
controlled by small minority. But
there is no middle ground. We are
either for or against the trade in intox-
ica,ing liqnors, | wish it to be dis
tinctIy understood that when the roll is