Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-10-07

lowest possible point. But it believes, to
borrow the eloquent and earnest words of
MIR. Gladstone, that laws not founded in
the hearts, feelings and affections of the
people, but depending on force. cannot
be executed and are worse than no
laws. Wherever the people of a
state, or of any municipality, wholly
or largely, demand total prohibition,
such a law may be practicable as a method
of dealing with the liquor question.
But where such sentiment does not pre-
vail, prohibitory enactmen5S become a
dead letter and bring the authority and
dignity of law and government into dis
repute, without effecting in the least the
reforms they are designed to promote.
The Republican party of Wisconsin
recognizes the fact that this state, as a
whole. is not one where the prohibition
sentiment has hold on the affections of
such majority of the people as to make
1t expedlent to attempt to press and exc
cute prohibitory law as state measure.
In the meantime, it accordS to any city.
village or town within the state the privi-
lege of locally dealing with the subject
according TO the sentiment of q majority
OF its people-prohibiting or restricting
and regulating the liquor traffic in such a
manner as seems to them best
1t would seem in state with such di-
yersified elements of population as ours,
that nothing more could nationally be
asked. If any community does not desire
liquor sold in it, the traffic can be prohib-
tied by majority vote of that communi,
ty. If any community does wish liquor
sold In 1T, experience proves it cannot be
prevented by law of the state. All we
can possibly do in this matter is to keep
fairly abreast of public sentiment, and
this can be perfectly done through the
local option and license laws now in ex-
istence.
This much misunderstood and misrepre-
sented question of the legal extinction of
incompetence Thy premature and imprac-
tlcable legislation) is one which appeals
strongly to every man who realizes that a
faVOrlng public sentiment is essential to
all true reform, and who sees the incon-
sistency and dishonesty of those who
ignore the moral phase of the temperance
work to engage In political intrigue and
personal aggrandisement These political
schemers become actual promoters of the
evils of intemperance; they retard prac-
tlcal temperance work and hinder the
good influence of the restricting and reg
ulating laws to which the Republicanparty
stands committed.
It is an undeniable fact that majority
of the most distinguished and effective
workers in the temperance cause have de-
plored the existence of third party and
of political temperance, as destructive of
the work of promoting real temperance.
The political Prohibitionists withdraw
attention from the actual work of gen
uine reform, and center it upon mere po-
litical agitation in a few states every two
years. Among those who have held and
expressed this sentiment in our own
country we might mention the late John
B. Cough and Francis Murphy; also
Mr.. William Noble, of England, the lead
ing temperance man of the United King
dom. Also, such well known temperance
advocates as the Hon. w. t. Price and II.
h. Giles, of our own state
Upon this and all other questions the
Republican party has indicated by its
past legislation and the election of its
executive officers, can be trusted to do
what is just and right. It will neither
RIM before its knnrplAe7<5na ->~-aI-e, n~~1----<1
it's conscience.
II. A. TAYLOR, Chairman.