The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-10-31

Il
Commitments to House of Correction fol
all causes decreased 35 per cent. Delirium
tremens and mania a p0tu cases in House
of Correction decreased SO Per cent;
scarcely any more use for the mania ward
as such.
How is it that men, who profess to de-
sire temperance reform, to cripple the
rum power, and TO save men, women and
children from the sad evils of drink, are
so indifferent to the value of this law
Why Is it that all classes of temperance
people do not thank God for this vast
blessing; and give honor and support to
the legislators who gave us this law, to
the judges who have so effectively applied
it, to the city government which has so
faithfully executed it, and to the Law and
Order Society which has so materially
aided in securing the due enforcement of
this law? Why is itP
Now as to the means by which these
measures may be carried out. Here an
organization calling itself the "Prohibi-
ton Party" comes forward, and most
confidently claims that it, and it alone,
can do the work. AS this is the party of
highest pretensons, and richest promises,
we will consider 1t first. The State Tenn.
perauce Alliance, of Iowa, says that the
Third Party contains / out Of 40 of the
prohibitionists of our country. am
convinced that fuller examination of
facts will give them even smaller frac
ton. Now this 10th man is calling loudly
to bis 80 brethen, ''come over to me /;
mine is the only party that can possibly
do anything against the curse of drink. .
Look at facts. This party was organized
in 1869. Prior to that date, prohibition
laws had been enacted in 'Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York,
Delaware, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Mich
igan, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kan
SIC States" World Almanac, 1887.
What then becomes of the claim that only
this party can do anything2
Its great plan is to adopt prohibitory
amendment to the National Constitution.
This requires LIST, vote of both houses
of Congress, and then vote OF the
State Legislatures. Twenty years, aud
not State legislator, and no signs of
one. How long, at this rate, will it take
to get there2 Certainly not before millen-
mum is over and forgotten. We have
shown that 81 out of 38 States have
adopted some form of prohibition, and
others, like Pa, valuable restrictive laws.
''In most cases these laws have been en-.
acted by men elected in spite Of the op-
position of both rum. sellers and third
party men. So that the only effect of
this party, as a factor in politics, has
been to draw off votes from the party to
which we are mainly indebted for prohib-
tive and restrictive legislation, and thus
to elect the candidates of the party
avowedly opposed TO all anti saloon
legislation. The third party has elected
no prohibitionists, but has secured the
election Of many anti-prohibitionists
They have thus become the main hope of
the saloon power, and the chief fear Of
the mass Of temperance people. Judged
by words, they arc prohibitionists;
judged by their acts, and the effects Of
those acts, they are prohibition,
anti-temperance.
Surely the plan of third party has
been proven by experience to be inerpedi-
ent. 1t submits the cause of prohibition
to vote Of the people under the greatest
possible disadvantages. They yoke It
with so many other issues, such as fe-
male suffrage, restriction of male suffrage,
&c. They make special assault upon the
political party in which the great body
of temperance men are found. Their
leaders declare 1t their prime purpose to
destroy the party of the Union, and eman.
cipate,l the slaves In Pennsylvania and
Massachusetts, they are now antagonizinr
the candidates for legislature, who are
pledged to propose prohibition constitu-
tional amendments. BY making prohibit
tion party matter they not only divide
h,.R IL
more or less permanently. We often hear
expressions OF most intense sorrow, and
sometimes Of disgust and Indignation,
from our ablest and best temperance men.
Then the party prohibitionists are sadly
given to misrepresentation and abuse in
their speeches and party papers. This,
g. g., Is part of recent editorial 10 The
Quit in our City of Brotherly Love, con.
corning very highly esteemed pastor In
the Presbyterian Church: "The cloyen
foot of = begins to crop out
moro aud more. Judas was a
gentleman, even after the betrayal of his
Master, compared to this arch enemy Of
God, humanity and the Sabbath,
In other words, the makeup of this
political party is peculiar. It contains
many very choice men, to which class
all who may be present of course belong.
But some of it's leaders sadly fail to inspire
confidence, and as whole it does not
make an impression calculated to popu.
larize the cause of prohibition, nor to
unite the voters who desire to see the
cause OF temperance triumph.
AS for the Democratic party, we know
that in almost every platform 1t declares
itself against all anti saloon legislation
restrictive or prohibitive-call them
ssumptuary laws" This is consistent.
The third party is quite tender towards
the Democratic, not because the latter Is
expected to do much for temperance,
but because it is expected to aid in
the destruction of another orRaniza
tion, which Is felt to DO very much In
the way. 1t seems to be saying to its
Democratic neighbor, 'snJw for the pre-
sent you may have all the offices, and do
all tho legislation, If you will only help
me kill this Republican Party; aud (sotto
gocel will then soon finish gou.'' Plain
ly, each means to make short work with
the other, when this troublesome neigh
Dor is out Of the way. We call for fair
play; two against one is one too many
We feel sure, too that there is better
and surer way. We do not believe with
some that the Republican party is sufii-
cient for our purpose. Indeed, to ask of
any political party TO do all we want
against alcohol, and at the same time to
carry out all other necessary measures,
and manage we'll the affairs OF the whole
nation, is asking what is, at present, an
utter impossibility.
Undoubtedly, the Republican Party is
becoming more and more sound friend OF
temperance. 1t has now taken much
stronger stand against the saloon than 1t
had against slavery, when the Abolition
lists and Free Sellers dropped their sepa-
rate action, and came solid to tho support
Of Fremont and Lincoln, in 1856 and
1860 Its later acts in many States, es-
pecially 10 Pennsylvania, New Jersey
and New York, and the noble attitude Of
Warner Miller, is its present tendency.
1t will surely be easier for temperance
people to give direction TO that party,
than to 60 out as separate party, and
control the whole nation. All that can
be done by partisan method can be done
through this party.
An exceedingly able and more extend
ed argument for non partisan methods is
n = u A. N n