The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-05-30
SNARE.
TORY or FHDNEsDAKS
L1xGE CONFERENCE.


wing Prohibition Republf-
be Ccddlsd Back Inso ths
n Eold--A skllful Move
We Decimntfon Of its Ranl<s
lay 20 Special The Re
u movement on the Prohibit
kaugurated by the Conference
last Wednesday, reflects the
genuity of that sharpest Of all
Eire-pullers. John ]. Foster, OF
The man Who expects to see it
farm to the strength of the Republic
arty in the State is counting way
ut his host, and shows want of
sr acquaintance with the full charac-
BE the scheme which it sets on foot.
The details of the public meeting have
already been furnished to yon in the daily
papers. But the true inwardness of it has
been carefully kept out of view. It was an
unavoidable tribute to the growing strength
of the Prohibition party of the State. 1t
would not have been put on foot but that
all the Indications point this year to the
largest temperance vote, for regular tenn
perance candidates, that the State has ever
known. More than that, it is an admission
that the Prohibition candidates viii draw
so largely from the Republican vote as to
menace, more seriously than ever, the success
cess Of party in the approaching election.
1t may not be amiss to say that the fear Of
defeat has no relation to the gubernatorial
fight. The defeat Of the Republican can
didate for Governor is SO usual and natrl-
raj and toregone a conclusion, that it may
be assumed that it is not the Governorshlp
they are trying to save. It is to save
Hewell and the United States Senatorship
It is to insure Republican House of As
sembly. and Republican majority ON
Joint ballot, that these high-minded gen
flemen. who carry the conscience of the
nation around in their brooches pocket, are
struggling. They know that the manner in
which the Legislature of last Winter
spurned and scorned and Knocked the tenn
perance sentiment of the State means the
loss next Fall of many Republican districts
in which the temperance sentiment is
strong; and it is, by delusion and
snare, to prevent threatened assertions
to the Prohibition ranks that Sewell put
this machine in operation. Every man of
prominence in it is a Sewell man. The
three orieinators OF the call are his sworn
allies. Armstrong is the plant tool of the
Pennsylvania Railroad everybody knows
that Foster is the intimate personal friend
and adviser of the Railroad Senator. 10
say to this community that Sewell owns
what little there is of Pangborn-from the
crown of his little head to the soles of his
big feet lis to say something that is mat
ter Of common notoriety here. The par
ticipation of these three men in the origi-
nal call marks tie Conference as distinct
lively a Sewell device, and, as his interest is
wholly with the legislative districts, points
the Senatorial and Assembly districts out
as the special object of solicitude.
That the move is shrewd and bra1ny
one have already intimated. 1t is shrewd
ana brainy because, while it seems to COM
NIT he Republican party to everything, it
commits II to nothing; because, in other
words, it risks nothing while it seems to
risk everything. The plan is for the Exc
cutive Committee, appointed at the We'd
kesdaysconference, to organize the Rspub-
can temperance sentiment of the State to
ecomplish the reform it thirsts for with
he aid of the Republican party. The
bakness and inefficiency of the Prohibit
bn party, as such, are to be pointed out
them; and they will be taken to view the
gniicent machinery of the Republican
rty. Here" they will be told, Sis
0fnething we can utilize. Let us strive to
take possession OF it, appropriate it to our
use and make it enforce the doctrine to
which we are welded. It was built to
enforce the mandates of the conscience of
the country. When we demanded the ex-
kinct on Of slavery, we employed this great
political machine and it did it. Let us
kow employ it to crush out the other curse
R2oe rum against which we have arrayed
ourselves. If YOU want to achieve moral
bforu, tEat is the machine for you to do it
18th. Let the devotees of temperance be
llied at the Republican primaries for the
olce of del sgates that will consent to the
e OF the machine for our new reform.
hat matters it if we are not successful
IS year Agitation will bring us new
ruits for the next assault, and by the
e the next campaign comes around we
find it manned at every point with our
erents. Even if, at the worst, we can
lon only small and inappreciable force
delegates this year, we shall have on
next year, and more yet the year
and mere and more every succeeding
and in the end we must come into
pntr0i OF 1t. So -<z--i-
ere'ss the Argument, briefly stated,
h which it is proposed to hold the Pro-
itibn sentiment of the people back from
hllience with the out and out Prohibit
party. It is designed to keep the rank
file Of the active temperance men in !
Republican party in the hope of &C
plishing their reform, and yet it puts
Republican party under no obligation |
slp them. Only to the extent to which |
may force themselves into its conyen-
are they to be respected. II their
sates are not numerically strong enough
kfce declaration on the issue, the
ntion cannot be expected to make it;
ennot be held accountable il 1t fails
Ike it. The assembling party will be
with the assurance that SO great |
never was accomplished by single
and will be exhorted to keep in line
second attack. By the time the
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