New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-02-14
THE VOTE on TEMPERANCE.
now TRIBUNE READERS STAND.
Al LIGHT VOTE BUT AN EARNEST ONE.

RESULTS OF THE BALLOT TAKEN BY The lhDOH"
on GTHE PROPER METHOD OF DEALING VII"
THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC"
On December % last The TRIBUNE calied lot
vote by its out-oftown subscribers on What IL the
hest method of dealing with the acknowledged evil
of the liquor traffic in:
/ cite, Ike New York. Boston, Philadelphia and CHI
caRO. ,...-,.
Cincinnati, etc.
a The an aler Incorporated cities and county towns
A. The Inrely rural districts"
TIE TRIRTNF,s subscribers are scattered throngt
every State and Territory in the country IL was
boped that the wide area would yield n great
variety of experience. and that at least vote OF
from $4,000 to 100000 would be sent in. Sub
scribers were given until January % to reply. AS
club agents making then annual lists foi lHE
TRIBUNE it was suggested that their remittance
letters would afford convenient means for the eS-
preston of views.
The ballot has now been completed. The results
are given below.
About onc-hnlf of all the replies received have
been by postal card. All the others have been by
letter the writer's in most explaining their
views at length and with great earnestness. 10 eX-
anime these long letters has been laboriOus task
NEVERTHELESS the views expressed by postal card
and letter both have greatly promoted the object Oh
this inquiry. That object was. to discover whether
there is at the present time any especial drift Oh
temperance sentiment among nearly l1o,oOo OF
the most intelligent moral, industrious and sub
stantial people of this country
Several interesting points have been brought to
the surface by this vote. In the first place, the
vote is small and every reply is from an active
prohibition advocate or member OF some society,"
eyceptinc less than a hundred otes The total
ItIlI Tn - 4
ccivcd the usual rush OF subscription let
tiers from club agents and single suhscnb-
crs; but out of the whole circle of its
out-of-town subscribers, only ! in about
% has felt enough interest in the subject 10 vote
on THE TRIBUNE questions 1t is remarkable
fact and seems to confirm the assertions OF mem
hers of The Church Temperance Society of the
United states, that while the majority OF the
people NAV he prOhbtiOnists at heart only ABOUT
3 or per cent of all the votes Will come out lot
prohibition when anything else IS at stake III the
PRESIDENTIAL election of SSH the Prohibition ticket
received i'm New-Gork, vote for every ~ cast lot
the Republican ticket in Pennsylvania. TO So; III
Ohio TO IL; i'll Michigan, to ~ IN the "hoIe
country | 10 -. THE TRIBUNE classes the non
respondents in the present vote ~ conservative
ncople who believe in temperance and perhaps IN
prohibition, but who are not interested enough 10
10 declare themselves.
Another worry striking fact is the variety oi opin,
ion among temperance men and their chahGe oi
views from time TO time Two or three thousand
replies are from old readers. past middle NE VINO
have advocated prohibition by some mtthod OF
other for from 20 TO 80 years. but who nov favor
a different method from the one they formerly 's-
pouscd some have tried absolute prohibition
without perfect success and they now want hIh
license Others have tried high license ana now
want either local option or pTohlhltloh. L"Vai
optIon has been tried by a great many, WI" now
want either high license or prohibition. some 'N-
prcssv saw that they have been. by times IN FAVOR
of each If the three methods, and they now see 10
good IN ANYTHING exccut education Of public senti-
ment In other words, they have all found no pan
perfect Accordingly they now want something
they have not tried. \ striking fact of itset
Another point is that those who advocate SUP
mission to a vote OF the people 10y states are chlciy
among the older men, who have discussed the Pues
ton many years =, .:. 90 80
whether Temperance should be taken up as POM
cal issue But all the same several hundred OF th'
letters received have demanded. and with much
energy that the QuestIOn be kept out "i potcs' on
the ground that tho -. John movement has ~
ficted great injury the temperate" cause, IN
their rcspsctiye localities In nearly every case,
the writer's who say tins SHOW Stohg le'IlIS oH
the subject. ,
It should be mentioned that several hundred
votes have been cast for high license IN the
larger cities. and local option lor Prohibition III
smaller places and rural townships
No other especial point has come to lght IN these
rcplics except this, that no matter what nrtnDI
The writer's adyocatc they nearly all prOhlbl-
lion, of the manufacture and sale IN the end. The
eaTnestness of the different writers IS very great
SUMMARY OF TIE VOTE
The vote in detail by states cannot he gwen
now, owing to lack Of space. The following IS a
sdmmaTy:
ToinI number of voices 0,JOJ.