River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-08-16
A wELL-Pur ARGUMENT.

Cheer the az instead
" T. Tri5uHs
a WELL-PUT ARGUMENT.
An Open Letter l IdreSsed to Practical
Temperance Men by Albert Grimm,
Chairman Of the Nnti-SaIoon Republican
National Committee.
Every body knows that either the
Republican or Democratic nominees
will be elected, and that therefore votes
east for other candidates can not posi-
bly, affect the approaching election. Ii
Is, Of course, true that the man who
votes for Clinton Fisk or Belva Lock
wood stands up TO be counted, but it is
equally true that in the vital matter of
deciding who Is u rule over US, he
counts a mere cipher in column Of
ciphcrs. His actions say: Il have no
interest in the result Of this struggle
Between Harrison and Cleveland |
have no choice. and am entirely will
ING that the worst one shall succeed.
am aware il Is possible ] might pre-
vent this. but ! utterly refuse To make
the slightest effort in that direction"
And no fairly well informed and
honest supporter of Fisk or Lockwood
viii pretend that this refusal is based
on belief that there l. from a temper
ancc standpoint no difference between
the two tickets for General Harrison
Is an active Christian and lifelong
total abstainer. and an OutspOken Op-
pOnent Of the liquor power, whose
nomination was opposed on the ground
that il would insure the hostility Of
the entire saloon fraternity. while Mr..
Cleveland is-.-GrOver Cleveland"
Moreover. General Harrison is the
nominee of a party that has always
contained within its ranks a large ma
jOrity of the temperance men of the
country, and has been growing in
creasingly hostile to the saloon
every year, until now. after
defying the liquor league, by
heading its ticket with a pronounced
temperance man. and choosing FOR sec
Ond place one who more than year
ago publicly announced heartily
sympathize' with the anti-salOOn Re
publican movement, and has, IN its
National platform committed itself I'M
reservedly in favor of .'dH wise and
well directed efforts for the promotion
of temperance while Mr.. Cleveland
is the nominee Of a party that has for
a generation been dominated by and
grows constantly more subservient to
the liquor power.
The character. convictions and
sympathies Of the one hundred thou
sand Federal officers and employ =, and
the influence they exert upon living pO-
litical issues are largely affected by
and dependent upon the Administra-
tiOn. and this is especially the case
when the President and his party are
in substantial accord. There can,
therefore, DC no doubt that. under ex-
listing circumstances. the election of
such a man a. General Harrison would
be followed by decided improvement
in the general attitude and tone of this
large and very influential class Of men
upon the saloon question. Again. il
the Republican party finds that doing
right does not bring defeat, it will at
once become moro aggressive in its
warfare against the saloon. But IL. on
the contrary, the Democratic party
wins. because professed friends of tenn
Verancc Iabored increasingly 10 dimin-
ish General Harrison's vote. instead of
Increasing il, then the saloon power
will be- strengthened and emboldened,
and its enemies will he corresponding
n weakened. discouraged and embit-
tered against each other. For it must
not D. forgotten that the supporters of
Mr. Fisk and Mrs. Lockwood are not
content with merely putting their own
votes in cipher columns. but strive to
induce others to do the same thing
and. knowingly and Intentionally Y. work
mainly among Republicans.
The foregoing propositions are 50
undcniably true that all halfway sen
siblc and honest third-party men |
know admit that. il the Republican
aad Democratic parties are TO continue
in existence. the cause of temperance
VIII be- promoted by Republican sue
cess. hut they believe-or think they
believe that the Republican party is
such q puny or decrepit thing that il
can easily be annihilated. and that the
quickest way to destroy the saloon Is
To protect IL until the Republican par
IL shall have been destroyed. and
new one resurrccted from its grave. II
Is the old. old story Of men 80
hypnotized by party zeal that they are
obIivious to every thing except what
blinded or designing leaders authorize.
or Of the discouraged traveller who
leaves the beaten highway 10 follow
wiTl-o'- the-wisp he thinks is leading
him - shelter close at hand. but sud
denly finds himself plunged into an
impass8 BE morass-
TO hear these zealots talk in their
hcp-skip-and-iump fashion one would
think that the wipiug out Of existence
Of a uarty 6.ooO.OO0 strong by one
about a twentieth as large i a mere
pastime for them. but proper state
ment of the case will show that there
Is an element OF doubt. in fact several
doubts. Here are a few of them: II
we can defeat the Republican party
this year. by drawing from its ranks
enough Jealous temperance men TO
enable the "a Don party TO triumph;
and q the Republican party becomes
60 coved that il refuses even 20 kick
and >traightway gives up the ghost;
and u il nsrrhcS prove u be devoid
Q. human us''.rs- s,nG c0ac,udc 10 kiss