San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-01

the situation, ls given In this issue be-
cause the LIGHT believes In free
speech and practices what 1t breaches.
ANTI-SALOON REPUBLICANS.
There has been sent TO the LIGHT table
a mass of documents relating to the pro-
posed anti-saloon republican conference
called for April Is, 1888, at New York
| city. This journal has been called upon
to print this call and comment upon
the same. The LIGHT does not deem the
publication of the call In its entirety
necessary, as its platform is fairly set
forth In the following clause:
(I The saloon is the enemy OF society,
and ought to be suppressed; (2) the peo-
pie OF each state and municipality ought
to have the opportunity, whenever de-
sired, OF deciding when and how this
shall be done, 81 until destroyed, the
saloon ought to be crippled by every re-
straint and disability which local public
sentiment will enforce, and made to re-
imburse as much as possible Of the pub
lie loss Ii causes.
The declaration made above may or
may not be true, and Its truth or fslsity
is In no small measure dependent upon
circumstances. The injection OF this
matter into politics as distinct party
Issue does not commend itself to the
support and approval Of this journal for
reasons.
Before entering upon consideration
EsI. n go
declaration Of the call for a "Second
National Anti-Saloon Republican" con-
ference, which assumes to set forth the
relative positions Of the democratic and
republican parties on this question. This
declaration is as follows:
During the two decades embracing the
aDti-slavery agitation, the war period
and reconstruction, while the hands
and thoughts of our people were busy
with other imperative tasks, the ma
tional scourge OF the liquor traffic had
grown with the republican growth, and
strengthened with its strength. Adroitly
il had intrenched itself In both political
camps. Holding the democratic party
as its open ally and aggressive cham
piOn, il hoped to secure the perpetual
neutrality Of the republican Organiza-
ton by seducing the least worthy of it's
political managers with the bait OF
power, or cOercing them with the whip
of intimidation. Too long this policy
succeeded. Too long the cOwaTdice,
self-interest or apathy of false leaders
rendered vOiOeless and Ineffective the
always earnest, and now resistless tenn
perance sentiment among the republi-
can masses. The anti-sRloOn uprising
within the republican party, which took
form at Chicago, broke the evil spell.
and marked the beginning OF the end OF
saloon domination in republican COun-
ellis.
1t is upon this declaration and others
that the republican party is asked to
take such ground upon the liquor ques-
ton as is summarized in the first ex-
tract published above, enumerating the
positions which the issues OF the call
desire the republican party to take.
The LIGHT cannot consistently consent
to advocate the call thus Issued by GER
tain republicans, and cannot give its
suppOrtto the measures proposed be-
cause 1t believes the work thus set forth
is outside Of the province of any pOliti-
cal party, unless it be the anti-prohibi-
tion party of this country and with
whose actions, principles and operations
the LIGHT is not in accord.
The LIGHT has opposed and will con-
tinue TO oppose the domination OF the
republican party by the saloon element
Of the party. 1t is opposed to the
holding OF ward caucuses or ward meet
ings OF any kind In saloons, Is opposed to
the representation of its precincts, its
counties or its districts In republican
conventions by saloon keepers, because
their saloons are special subjects OF regu-
lation by law and so should not dOmin-
ate the party action, or select the state
representatives, or shape political prOoe-
dure. This accomplished, the LIGHT be-
lieves no political party has a right, as
a political party, to take farther action
in the premises. This judgment of the
LIGHT is not hasty or idly advised. 1t
has been formulated very carefully and
after due elaboration. 1t has nothing
to do one way or another with the saloon
as moral or an immoral force In So
ciety. The republican party is politi-
cal party, organized for political action.
Its functions, at least as the LIGHT be-
lieves, are political functions and not
prOscriptlve. That it is its province to
declare principles of political action and
not to prescribe or prescribe personal
habits. If liquor dealing is crime it
must be dealt with as crime
and not as q question of
political parts anship. Granted, for
the sake OF the argument, that the
republican party did abolish slavery, 1t
was only SO abolished as a war measure,
and unless slavery had arrayed ItseIf
against the authority of the national
government that government had no
power to suppress 1t. The rights of in
diViduals are paramount to all state
rights and all national rights. The in
diVidual is the source of power. The
republican party has a right, as a party
organization, to debar from active con-
troll OF Its organization any and all per-
sons whom 1t considers inimical TO its
Interests. But the republican party is
merely voluntary Organization, and
when It assumes to lay down laws for
the government Of the people, and put
into Its platforms declarations affecting
the rights of citizens, and the business
privileges OF classes, il goes beyond its