New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-16
THEY MEAN BUSINESS.

We are clad that David b. Hill has been
renominated by the Democrats. 1t would have
been public misfortune if the party had put
into the field a candidate for Governor who
was personally respectable. This might have
obscured the issue, and enabled the Democracy
to deceive the voters Of the State rs to their
true position on the liquor question Gov
ernor Hills record, and that of the party on
this subject are as much alike as two copies
Of the same photograph. The men VINO vote
steadily against temperance measures in the
Legislature, and the Governor who steadily
vetoes them, belong in the same gallery OF
political rogues. 1t would have been a pity
if the Democrats had been able to point to
the picture Of an honest man, and say, Look
at the sort of man we have nominated for
Governor. We are not black as we are
painted" Now there can be no false pre-
fences. The party which draws most OF ITS
campaign fund from the saloons has nominated
for Governor a man whom the saloon-keepers
fondly call "our friend,r and every decent
citizen knows Just where the two parties stand.
But the decent citizen must not take 1t Tor
granted that the Indignation of good men at
the unbluShing subserviency Of the Democratic
party to the rum power is going to sweep over
Hill like a wave and bury HIM out Of sight,
without the least effort on the part of any
body. There could be no greater mistake.
The saloon keepers mean business in this cam
paign as they never meant 1t before. II
Warner Miller is elected Governor, with Re-
publican Assembly, probably one-half of the
Il lo nta vii
wear after he has been inaugurated, and the
charges imposed upon those that still exist
will be much heavier than now. The saloons
are fighting for self-preServatiOn, and the re-
suit in November will fix their situation for the
next three years. No doubt they will get a
Democratic Assembly, if they can; but if they
can re-elect Hill their breakwater is secure,
and the sea Of temperance sentiment will dash
against II In vain so long as he is Governor.
They have already publicly boosted that since
their State association was organized no I'M
friendly legislation has been placed upon the
statute-book They can and will spend an
enormous sum of money to block the way for
three years to come and Will still have huge
balance in money actually saved on license
fees, if they can defeat Warner Miller Every
saloon will be vote factory from now on.
Money will be spent and every influence
brought to bear to change votes on this issue.
Think what the 5000 saloons OF this city
alone may do when they are banded together
for their common interest. They have pc
culiar facilities for reaching voters, and they
viii not neglect one Of them.
The decent citizen must work as well as
the saloon-keeper, and must give his money
too, not to be expended in buying votes, but
in distributing h-License and temperance
literature, and in helping the Republicans to
hold meetings in every school-house, to arouse
people to the importance Of this contest. This
is a question above party and outside the Ma
tiOnal issues Of this canvass. 1t is moral
question, involving the family and the home
Every man who believes in these, rather than
in the saloon, should vote for Warner Miller,
no matter whether he be Democrat, Repub-
lean, Prohibitionist, Independent, a MEM
Der Of the American, or Labor, or any other
Marty