River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-08-30
LETTER TO DR.. SToRRS.
CONTINUED.


their shins-it seems pity that in
some instances it were not their
necks. 1t is labeled Free Whiskey."
For years political organization
which expects soon to control the
government. has been bowling for
this same free whiskey;" but there
was no political capital to be made out
of them, and therefore they were ig-
nored. It was only when some one
discovered that it might be possible
to make target for this mud ball out
of the Republican platform that the
free whiskey yell came to the front.
1t would be an impertinence
were | to assume your ignorance of
the fact that the tax on whiskey was
originally imposed without a thought
of any moral or restrictive element in
the matter. more than of incomes,
legal papers, sugar or coffee. 1t was
merely matter of raising money to
carry on the war; and the repeal of
the tax on alcohol or tobacco could
have been done, with no more thought
of moral element involved. than the
release of the tax on matches, or pat
ent medicines; and this iCould have
been done had there not been this idea
foisted into the question for purposes
entirely foreign to those determining
the original imposition. However,
discussed from this standpoint, this
element will in some degree be con-
sidered by most of those who have to
do with this question. And here, also.
there will be honest differences of
opinion concerning the relation this
tax may have to liquor consumption.
There will be many also, who will be-
lieve that it should continue to be
treated as it was originally, just as
any other tax would, either retained,
or abolished, as it was thought ex-
pedient or otherwise; and surely fair
play and justice demand, that those
who do thus think and act should be
entitled to do SO without having all
the anathemas in the dictionary
thrown at their devoted heads; for it
must be conceded that they have
quite as much reason for their posi-
ton as any of the others, and besides
have all the history on their side.
A word here--may be more anon
of your own position on this tax. You
say 1.-The party should have faced ex-
actly the other way''--in other words,
should have pledged itself to maintain
the tax under all conditions and con-
tingencies. Now this action would,
for one thing, have aroused to still
greater degree the antagonism of the
ProhibitiOnists against the Republican
party, which we didn't care to do.
And it likewise might in the future
have proved very embarrassing
pledge in certain contingencies; surely
it was not "a dangerous mistake" to
put ourselves on record as at liberty
TO change this matter if it in the
future seemed wise and expedient so
to do. Nothing can be said more
reasonably of this matter than you
have said of some other features of
the tariff, but which is even more
appropriate, or soon may be, of this,
1T was adopted primarily as war
measure more than a score of Years
ago, and no doubt was expedient in its
time, but why go on with it in
definitely, ETC., etc.
There still remains as subject to
your decided criticism the action of
the convention on the temperance
question. And here, think, you will
find more in unison with you, than on
any other point in your letter. And
| have TO confess that there was a
general feeling of disappointment that
delegation of whom four out of five
were conscientious temperance men,
representing a constituency quite as
strong. should not have been more
pronounced on this question, feeling
entertained by myself till l saw your
letter. Your demand of the CO wen
ton was that it 'should heartily and
unequivocally indorse high license,
instead of adopting the Boutelle reso-
luton. My dear Doctor. it would
have been far wiser not to have men,
toned the matter at all, than to have
done this. While to any one capable
| of weighing evidence, and not pre-
determined in opinion, it is clear that
the Republican party is temperance
party, yet it is nevertheless true that
there is not an absolute unanimity
of opinion as to the best methods by
which to advance this cause. This is
| by no means to be deprecated as it
permits measures to be adopted best
suited to special localities. without
running athwart party dictation; a
condition of things that makes the
Republican party altogether superior
as an efficient opponent to the saloon
interest, to any organization pledged
by cast-iron rules to adopt single
method, irrespective of public senti-
ment or special environment. 1t
would therefore be undesirable, if not
impossible. to attempt, in any repre-
sentative Republican body, to force it
to indorse any specific method as a
party measure, as if successful there
would be a revolt, as the party is too
intelligent and independent to be
controlled by caucus dictation against
its convictions.
You are. Of course. aware that one
of the chief sources--if not the prin-
cipal one-of danger to the success of
the Republican ticket this fall, is due
to the presence in the political field
of that Democratic Aid Society, calling
itself The Prohibition Party. 1t is, as
you know, largely composed in its
rank and file of former members of
tbe Damn lifaan Marty who have ioinpd