St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-30
MUST KEEP THEIR PLEDGES
Republicans Must Enact Laws Favor
ing Prohibition.
TEETOTALERS' DOCTRINES.
Planks From the Chicago Platform of
the Party Of Purity, Good Govern
ment and Home Comforts.
To the Editor of the Globe.


will keep their promises to those Prohi-
btiOnists they persuaded to vote the
Republican ticket, does not understand
what was meant by the word "prom-
ises," and the attempted explanation on
my part, "The making of such laws as
will better promote sobriety and good
government"
You have been so liberal in granting
space for articles of public nature,
even though its author differed from
you politically (and / may add that this
is one of the many reasons for the popu-
larity and success of your paper, that L
feel encouraged in sending this for in
sertion, though slightly longer than at
first intended.
The liquor problem, like all other
great problems which involve the pc
cuniary interests of so many. and. as III
this instance, forms almost the religious
creed of as many more. is serious
question and requires the wisest and
most conscientious craftsmanship TO
grapple.
1t can hardly be expected, then, that
a party just coming into existence, hav-
ing merely a moral aim in view. shall
at once possess all the elements to per-
fectly
CARRY OUT THIS AIM.
1t is a remarkable and recognized
fact that the lower classes of men, in a
worldly point of view, are usually the
ones to first take hold of great reforms
and changes. The wiser ones, and
those in better standing, may see these
truths, but either OIL account OF self in
IN, l,n
tive, are usually last to come out boldly
in the advocacy of great reforms.
1t is possible, then. that Prohibition
lists may have been giving expression to
impracticable utterances as means to
accomplish the end. Even those be-
longing to older parties commit Like
errors. But as to the existing wrongs
and evils done by reason of the
liquor traffic, of the actual crimes,
violence, starvation and misery it is
the direct cause,-0f the extra burdens
we have to bear in keeping up poor
houses. prisons, and the additional run
ming of the machinery OF government,
owing to this traffic, there will hardly
be any dispute among candid men, be
they Prohibitionists. Republicans or
Democrats. Is it not, then, strange,
that while the majority of Republicans
acknowledge that the saloon traffic is a
curse to this country, and an injury
physically. as web as financially, if
asked, ''why not do your share, then,
towards abolishing it," will answer,
first, prohibition does not prohibits"
second, "Why abolish thing which is
harm only in its abuse?" and third. LAS
prohibition can not be accomplished,
high license
Jc ITS RFST CI-RcTITITTF -
and kindred answers, OF which the fore
going are the leading ones.
l can not, of course, ask space III
your crowded columns to 60 fully into
the merits of the prohibition problem,
and will only suggest few thoughts
bearing directly on the promises" of
the Republican party, to pass such
laws as will best promote sobriety and
good government, or in the exact words
of the Republican platform, " The first
concern of good government is the
virtue and sobriety of the people, and
the purity of the home. The Repub-
lican party cordially sympathizes with
all wise and we'll directed efforts for
the promotion of temperance and
morality"
|. If a majority. of voters admit
thing to be wrong, is it not their duty,
majority, to eradicate the evil? The
Republican party, as l understand it.
admits the evils of the saloon
traffic, and promises" to do all
it possibly can in furtherance
of ''sobriety,'' good government
"purity of home" Temperance and
morality" Now, if morality. temper
ance and the best interests of the peo-
pie demand the eradication of this evil,
and the Republican party fails to labor
in that direction, it fails in its prom
iseS.'
But the Republicans say that high
license accomplishes the object as
near as it can be accomplished in the
PRESENT STATE OF SOCIETY.
Allow ME to show that high license
does not only not accomplish the OBJ
ject sought to be accomplished under
the platform of the Republican party,
but is, if anything, step backward.
The power in a government OF edu-
eating its people as to right and wrong
first thought. Rome made infanticide
legal, and who in Rome thought child
murder crime! But, says one, I'VE
are civilized Christians. and know right
from wrong, no matter what the. law
says"
Thirty years ago. the law of the
United States made slavery legal. What
proportion of the Southern population
thought slavery crime? and how
MANY. even in the Northern states,
thought it wrong? Let there be law
on the statute books making it right, or
no crime to steal in cases of necessity,
and what proportion OF the people,
within twenty. years, would look
upon that crime in the light
they now do? Now, in matters
which are not crimes per Sc. the
conscience is absolutely regulated by
what the law prohibits or sanctions, as
in cases of police, sanitary and other
regulations, where acts are prohibited
for the general welfare.
[ say, then, that a law which gives
sanction to & traffic which is conceded
on all hands to produce such dire con-
sequences, and by that sanction educat-
ing the mind in the belief that such
traffic is legitimate and right, is a blot
on the statute books and injury to hui
manitv, and does not subServe "tEe
virtue and sobriety of the peopl'
temperance and morality" to which th
| REPUBLICAN PARTY STANDS PLEDGED.
Suppose the opium habit should become
as prevalent as whisky drinking, would
| you license the traffic, and by so doing
admit the government is too weak to
grapple the scourge? 1t is a thousand
degrees less harmful than whisky in the
serious results to society, and as many
arguments can he advancetin its favor
and use as for whisky.
The higher the license the greater the
temptation of those selling the drink to
| adulterate the stuff in order to get their
money out of it. They must either make
ND their extra expense by selling larger
| quantities or reduce the cost by poison
| ing and adulterating it. Either method
shows the enhanced evils of 'shigh Ii
cense."
We are told that the way to solve this
question is to educate the people, begin
! ming with the children; legislation will