The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-01-18
THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION.



General Sewell, talking to the PhiadelI
phia Press correspondent stated very
clearly what will undoubtedly DO the
spirit of the Republican majority. "This
Is not question" he said, "of the rela-
tions of the Prohibition party to the Re
publicans, or of the harm they have done
or may do TO the party. recognize fully
that the third party movement has been
barrier to Republican control of this
State for several years, but the fact is
that there is no room for revenge or any
such thing in question like this. AT
any rate those Of the third party who sin
cerely desire the advancement of the tenn
perance cause have received their punish
ment as they went along, for the people
OF common sense can easily see now that
nothing has so retarded the cause of real
temperance reform Ia this State as the
power which the Prohibitionists have put
into the hands of the Democrats to block
all efforts in that direction.
However, the question now Is one OF
State good and the interests of morality
aud good order. Upon this question the
Republicans of the State are already com
mitted, think, against the sa Don power.
Whether or not saloons ought TO be abol
ished and the sale of liquor done away
with is one question, and very debata
BILE one, but there can be no honest d fer
ence Of opinion as to the desil ability OF
checking the further advance of the IA
loon interests an social and political pow
or and Restricting the sale of liquor thin
proper and legitimate boundaries. What
these boundaries shall be, 10 my opinion,
differs according to the sentiment of the
locality TO be affected. If the people Of
Essex county, being one kind of people,
desire plenty of saloons and an abundant
opportunity TO drink beer, they ought To
have 1t. 1t is not the business of people
In another part of the State, who may be
another kind Of people and have different
ideas, to dictate to these people Of Essex
county as TO what they shall drink or how
they shall get II. II would be tyranny
were any such attempt made. Bnt it Is
just as much tyranny for the people of
Essex county to compel the people of
some other part of the State where public
sentiment is different, to allow saloons to
be started on overy corner aud a power
created that seeks to dominate the politics
Of the locality against the will of the ma.
jority and 10 the interest Of q traffic of
which the majority disapproves.
"The temperance reform which think
is needed. and which | think would be
practicable, is one that shall allow each
locality to regulate this matter after the
ideas of the majority, and shall force upon
no community either unwelcome licepse
or equally unwelcome restrictions against
public sentiment of the community, Lo-
cal option in some form or another will
satisfy this idaa High Ueansa NTH !, Ia
cal option proviso would do in many com.
munities, but doubt if it would be as
practicable as regular local option
scheme properly devised and guarded so
that 1t should give no opportunity for the
members of perhaps accidental, or at
any rate very small, majority to force
abstinence upon a great body of fellow
citizens whose ideas differed from theirs. /"