New-York tribune., 1888-08-30
ru,r UIch.LTCENSE PLANK.

"The New Ork lllnes" ne Evening
Post and other Democratic papers are dis
satisfied with the High-Lcense plank OF the
Saratoga platform. This will be grievous
Disappointment to the Republican leaders. who
expected, Of course, to construct platform
that would meet with the unanimous approval
Of the Democratic press.
They contend that The plank Is shuffling and
eouiyocal. Let us see. 1t says first that " the
Republican party unequvocally condemns
--iather IN explicit statement that" the course
of Governor Hill in obstructing by his vetOes
acts for increasing the fees for licenses, by
which larger share of the cost of government
might be levied on the liquor traffic" This
was so unusually plain-spoken that, as The
Post'sr own dispatches bear witness, the Gov
ernOr's friends arc inccnscd thai he should
have been denounced by name in the platform
This was exceptional, but not so much so As
the conduct that called ont this condemnation.
Governor Hills friends do not think the plat
form equivocal. And for what is he denounced?
For constructing by his vetocs acts for in
creasing the fees for licenses" Instead OF
making a catalogue Of all the bills of this char
acter which the Governor has yetOed-for there
has been a whole series Of them this year and
Iast-the convention described them al under
this phrase, and uneqmvOcally condemned
Governor Hill for vetoing them. Governor Hill
knows what that means. So do the Democratic
members Of the Legislature who voted for
the bills. II "Thc Times" and The POST
do not, that may be owing to causes over W. ich
they have no control.
The platform then goes on TO say: =" And
we approve The efforts Of the Republicans in
the last Legislature upon the liquor question.
especially in passing the act, nulliied by such
Executive action, TO restrict that traffic by
charges which would lift some of the burdens
OF taxation caused by the liquor traffic from
.he homc and the farm" Here in addition
to the denunciation OF Governor Hill for having
vetoed all bills Of this character is distinct
and unqualified commentator Of the Repub-
Leans of the Legislature for having passed
them, and specially the High-Llcense bill
Boiled down, the complaint seems to be that the
words " High License" were not used. But
when the act itself is specifically alluded to
and especaly' commended, what possible
doubt can there be as to the meaning o1 the
convention? Allowances must be made for the
d;cuon Of platforms. When the Democratic
National Convention at St. Louis wanted to
express its approval Of the Mills bill, 1t did not
call it badly by that name. Ii recommended
the passage Of " the bill for the reduction o.
the revenue now pending in the House ol
Rcpreseulativesn let this was universally
accepted as an Endorsement of the Mills bill.
So much with relation to what had been
done in the past. What Of the futme? The
nlalform continues: "And we believe that
such charges should be advanced to standards
,imi ar to those successfully enforced in other
states under Republican control" Isn't that
plain enough? THE Evening PosC' suggests
at least by implication, that the convention
should have named the figures it would favor
for license fees. Could anything be more alb
surd? Platforms concern themselves with
general principles, not with the details Of
legislation Otherwise the entire Mills bill
should have been incorporated into the St.
Louis resolution
The Saratoga platform is frank, straight
forward and sound on the temperance queS-
tion. IL will command the support OF all SIM
cere and judcious Temperance men. Another
reason for expecting their votes is the high
personal character Of the nominees. and the
certainty that they will never be found on the
side Of the saloons against the people.