The Republican journal., 1886-05-13
Temperance Topics.

Apropos of Prof. Governs letter and the cdi-
torial comments upon it. is an editorial iii the
New York Tribune captioned "Dcmocracy and
the Rum Power" The Tribune says: "Be-
fore the war the Democratic party was the
plant tool of the slave power. To-day it is the
plant tool of the rum power. Its main reli-
ance for the strength which insures its supre-
macy in our large cities is the groggeres, the
sample-rooms, the gin-ms. When
the rum power takes snuff Democracy sneezes
According rs the rum power commands
thumbs up or thumbs down. the subserv-
lent thumbs of Democracy are elevated or de-
pressed. The rum power can rely upon the
Democratic party as confidently as Crusoe
could rely on Friday" The truth of this is
emphasized by the course of the Democratic
members of the New York Assembly on the
Prohibition Amendment. OF the siNty-one
votes in favor of ordering the amendment to a
third reading only one was cast by a Demo-
crat; while of the fit; six votes against the
amendment all but twelve were cast by Demo-
Gratis. Rum had said thumbs down, and down
they went by a large ma jority. So it was i'll
1881. A vote was taken on the same PROPOSE
ton in the Assembly of that year. II received
>iXty-thrcc votes, all but eight Of which were
Republican. The Tribune well says there is
nothing novel about these facts. They are
familiar to everybody who knows anything of
the history of political parties. But in the
light of them what shall be said of those
temperance men who by forming themselves
into third party are playing into the hands
of the Democratic party-the fortress and
sure defence of the liquor interest?
The Savannah. Geo, Morning News. Dem
ocratic newspaper OF the strictcst sect, and
noteworthy article on ''Prohibition in Politics.
1t contends that to be successful prohibition
must be kept from politics and says that is the
secret Of its success in the South. In Georgia
the ProhibtiUnists have got control of great
majority of the counties with a good prospect
Of getting control of about all of them. The
News says:
The aim of the true advocates Of temperance
is to promote the cause of temperance, and
they ought not to permit themselves to be i'll
fuenced by the prospect of power to pursue
course calculated to damage that cause. There
have been here and there indications cropping
out in this State of purpose to introduce the
temperance question into the approaching State
campaign. Nothing would be more unwise in
the prohibition leaders. and nothing would do
so much to damage the temperance cause.
The temperance movement now occupies
high moral grounds. 1t draws its strength
from both political parties. Many of its ablest
workers are women. Introduce it into the
dirty pool of partisan politics and thousands
of its best supporters would abandon it at
once. Instead Of advancing to a magnificent
success it would quickly become Il pronounced
failure
In this State What has been gained in the
temperance cause is due to the Republican
party which includes in its ranks the great
majority of the temperance men and women
of Maine.
The recent city election in Minneapolis turn
Cd on high license and low license, and the lat
ter Won. Two wears ago Geo. A. Pillsbury
(Rep.) was elected upon high license platform
and the establishment Of patrol limits" beyond
which no saloons would be allowed under any
circumstances. The license was fixed at $500,
and Il patrol limit was drawn around Il certain
distance from the business center and all sa-
looms confined within those limits there the
saloons were ordered closed on Sunday and at
y o'clock ON every night of the week. This
year PilIsbury was defeated by DR.. Ames
(Dem.) who is IN avowed advocate of the
wide open policy" as it is called which means
low license for saloons, no restriction as the
number OF locality of the same; sort of a live
and let live. drink and let drink, and general
good time. \ Minneapolis correspondent Of
the Dirgo Rural does not believe in high IL
cense. and says he " would grant equal license to
all or would prohibit all. He asks:
What j. the effect of this high license ordi-
nance: 1t chokcS off about two hundred of the
smaller dealers who are not able to buy the
300 license and it gives the three hundred that
remain a monopoly of the whole business, for
10 one will deny that there is about the same
amount of liquor sold. How is il beyond the
patrol limits! There is where the blind pigs
flourish. DO YOU know what Il blind pig is:
probably some of you do. 1t is place to pass
out drinks and pass in the money without the
one being seen who does the selling, hence no
one can inform against him.