Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-08-16
|. fHE rRse-wHlsKY CRY.


The cry o. ''free whisky" has been
aissd in the Democratic camp against
,he paragraph in the Republican plat
!orm concerning the internal revenue
They say the Republican party has de-
slared for free whisky, and they ap-
pear to be very much concernet about
it. This show of concern is very
amusing. The Democratic party Is
about the last party in the world to
object to free whisky. 1t is the party
which solidly opposes all temperance
legislation in all the Northern States,
and is committed against all ''sump-
tuary" laws in its National platforms.
II it now appears for the moment
among the sons OF sobriety it is only
for the purpose of affecting the faith
full. Its character has undergone no
change, not the least.
The cry is simply campaign cry,
raised in the interest of the party and
she party's principle of free trade. Let
no temperance man be deceived one
moment by it, or he will find him
self tricked by the enemies of tenn
perance.
In the first place it is not true that
the Republican party has declared for
free whisky. What the Republican
party declares by its platform is this:
1.-The Republican party would effect
all needed reduction of the National
revenue by repeating the taxes upon
tobacco, which are an annoyance and
burden to agriculture, and the tax
upon spirits used in the arts and for
mechanical purposes, and by such re-
vision of the tariff laws as will tend to
check imports of such articles as are
produced by our people, the production
of which gives employment to our
laborer, and release from import du
ties those articles of foreign production
Except luxuries) the like of which
can not be produced at home"
This is not a declaration for ''free
whisky" but for the release of "spirits
used in the arts and for mechanical
purposes" If such use of spirits is
legitimate (and what temperance adj
vocate would hold otherwise?) the
proposal to remove the tax on them is,
in no sense, a crime against temper
ance After making the foregoing
declaration of policy with reference to
the reduction of the surplus, which is
to be accomplished, it will be noticed.
not alone by modification of the inter-
nal revenue laws. but by such revis-
ion of the tariff as will release"
PARTICLES of foreign production lex
cept luxuries) the like of which can
not be produced at home" this SEN
tence is added:
If there shall still remain a larger
revenue than is requisite for the wants
of the Government, we. favor the en-
tire repeal of the internal taxes rather
than the surrender of any part of our
protective system, at the joint behest of
the whisky trusts and the agents of
foreign manufacturers.
If there Is any free whisky in the
platform it is in this sentence, and if
there is free whisky in this sentence it
is only there as an inference in a con-
tingency. The plain open meaning of
the words is this: If the proposed re-
moval of the tax on tobacco, and spir-
its used in the arts, together with
the release of duties on certain
imports should not reduce sufficient
ly the surplus in the Treasury,
and the alternative should be the
surrender of any part of our protect
i've system" or the entire abolition of
the internal revenue system, the latter
should be sacrificed and the protective
system retained in its integrity. Upon
this point we entirely agree with the
platform, and so does every true pro-
tectionist, however radical may be his
temperance principles. 1t is vital to
the interests which are secured by pro-
lection that the protective system
should be preserved. 1t is not vital to
the interests Of temperance that the
internal revenue should be preserved.
As a matter of fact, the Women's
Christian Temperance Union, the third
party, and many leading temperance
Republicans (Mrs. j. Ellen Foster
asked the Platform Committee to sweep
away the internal revenue System) be-
ieve this policy to be the true temper
ance policy. We have disagreed with
them for the reason that we believe the
tax to be check on the traffic. How
great check it is we do not know, but,
whatever its restrictive power, it is
manifestly not a permanent principle
of temperance reform. but only tenn
porary expedient. As such we want it
to stand until it has served its purpose
and is superseded by something better,
or until it can no longer be retained
without sacrificing part of the pro-
tective system. As no temperance ad-
vocate claims that National taxation is
the only true and effective, or even
that 1t is the best, method of promot-
ing the cause, it is absurd to make all
this hue and cry about the Republican
party declaring for free whisky. The
platforms of the Republican party in
more than thirty States. and the legis-
lation. restrictive and prohibitive. it
has secured. are standing proof of its
policy respecting free whisky.
The Democrats as party care no
more for the internal revenue system
In reality than they do for temperance.
In fact, they are opposed to the system,
and hated it most cordially during the
war. when it was a necessity. Now