The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-08
Tint Free Whisky Plank.

The action Of the Chicago convention
with respect to whisky is giving the repub
lcau party a great deal of trouble. This
trouble will increase as the campaign adj
vnnces. Honest and unsuspecting people
are somewhat surprised that the party Of
alleged high moral purposes should declare
in favor Of free whisky. Some Of the re-
publican organs are ashamed of that decla-
ration, ard have declined to publish 1t.
They also hope, probably, to keep their
readers in Ignorance Of the fac. that there
is such n declaration in their platform
Remarkable rs it may seem, the Chicago
coDye ation, after stating in tho platform
that the republican party favors making
whisky free before taking the taxes off the
necessaricS OF life, it adopted n resolution
pledging the sympathy Of the party TO "all
well-directed efforts for the promotion of
temperance aud morality"
Is not this an exhibition Of demagogueism
that is unequaled in the history of the
worldl Here is party that pretends to
favor temperance and morality, and yet
proposes TO reduce the price Of whisky to
20 cents gallon, 50 that it will
finds its way into almost every household.
There may be republicans who doubt that
cheap whisky will cause an increase in
drunkenness. What does Blaine say on
that points In the celebrated letter which
he wrote from Paris last December, com
menting on the Presidents message, he
said; "To cheaper the price Of whisky is to
increase its consumption enormously. There
would be no sense i'll urging the reform
wrought by high license in many states if
the national government neutralizes the
good effect by making whisky within reach
of every one at 20 cents a gallon. Whisky
would be everywhere distilled il the sur
veillance of the government were with
drawn by the remission of the tax, and
Illicit sales conld not then be prevented.
The tax on whisky by the federal govern
ment, with its suppression of all illicit dis
tilation and consequent enhancement of
price, has been a powerful agent In the
temperance reform by putting it beyond
the reach of so many Five years ago Mr.
Blame wrote that it was wiser to tax whisky
than to tax farms. homestcads and shops
In the face of its free whisky decla-
ration, and with the knowledge that free
whisky means an increase in drunkenness,
what was the purpose of the Chicago con
vention in adopting resolution favoring
temperance and morality! Can party
that makes declarations 50 inharmonious be
an honest one! Is it a party that the peo-
pie can trust!
What does the republican party propose
to do TO show its symr athy with temper
ance and morality. 1t is know what it pro-
poses to do to promote drunkenness, and
the crimes which are traceable to drunken
ness, but not what it intends to do to help
the cause of temperance
1t may say to aid temperance it favors
restriction and prohibItory laws. Mr..
Blaine, however, says that such
laws would be useless if the
whisky tax were removed. Stills would be
set up everywhere, and drunkenness would
become quite general. The truth is the
republican party has by its free whisky
declaration placed itself i'll a very unfortu-
nate position. 1t is n position, however,
that is in keeping with its character, be-
cause it is willing to deceive the people if by
doing so It can get into power.