The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-02-23
NUMBER 5

NUMBER D
J Option may be used. If Local Option
also out of reach, then such restrictiv
measures AZ are possible should be ap
piled, l have no sympathy with tll
sentiment that cares not whether tn
saloons in a community be few or many
Every saloon is school of vice and
center of bad influences. The reason
which leads us to multiply publ
schools should lead us to reduce pubh
saloons, IApplause. But your plat
form, gentlemen, calls only for State o
Federal Prohibition. You must wal
everywhere until the sentiment will
support that before you can apply any
legal remedy. Your influence as a party
ia really against all other methods. 'Th,
Voice, your national organ, tells us tina
the Local Option remedy is none o
yOurs-that it is'utterly untrustworthy,
and last week in reply to a !critcism b,
the supporters oil High License it said
1--WE have no objection to closing q
large portion Of the grog shops. and a
law that did that, and that only, we
would not resist, A law restricting
saloons one to every 500 of population
we would not resist. A law requiring
every applicant for a license to procure
bondsmen under the conditions imposed
in Philadelphia we would not fight. II
is the internal revenue feature of yout
law that we Object to, and restrictive
law without that feature we can say
God speed to, even though we have nc
idea 1t would do much good
Would not resist would not fight.
would not object to these various meas
ures of restriction. These words pro-
claim Indifference, not hearty support.
1t is only tolerance at best, not active
favor, which the Prohibition party gives
to any legal method of fighting the ga
loon, except State or Federal Prohibi-
ton. And so, gentlemen, you propose
to build great national party on this
narrow platform; to leap direct to State
Prohibition without any intermediate
steps! The same sort of wisdom would
lead you, if you were half mile from a
ditch you wanted to jump. not to take
the trouble to walk the half mile and
then jump, but to jump the half mile
and ditch, too. with such leap as the
world never saw-and never will see.
! Applause. Political parties are not
built up in any such way,
BUT REAL TEMPERANCE REFORM GOES ON
BRAvELY.
In the fourth place, temperance re.
form is going on bravely without your
help. Your party has fought four Pres
IdantInn a m and h,Y
full tickets in many of the states for
several years. How many Congressman
have you elected? Not one, How many
governors? Not one. How many mem
bers of State Legislatures? l find seven
credited to you in 1886 IapplauseI. one
of whom was elected by Democratic
votes and two by Republican. You still
have seven, one each in four states and
three in Kentucky. 1t is rather mean,
know, to taunt you with questions as to
what these seven legislators have done
but think the questions are pertinent
What legislation have they devised
and placed on the statute books? Where
are the breweries and the distilleries
and saloons they have closed? What
have you to your credit? You have not
passed single law, nor closed a single
brewery or distillery or saloon; and you
cannot positively say that you ever will
be able to pass law or close a saloon.
Who passed all the hygiene laws in the
states and in Congress2 Who passed all
the local option laws by which hundreds
of counties North and South have been
freed from the saloon? Who submitted
the amendments In Oregon, Michigan,
Tennessee, Texas, Rhode Island? To
what political organization is due the
advance in the past few
years in temperance legislation? Not to
you, gentlemen of the Prohibition party,
You, as a party. have had no greater
part in all this glorious work than a fly
on the spoke of a wheel has in moving
the carriage. Applauae
Does temperance reform require the
Prohibition party? Well, l should say
not.
Temperance reform requires legisla-
ton. The Prohibition party las no po-
lical power and cannot, therefore pro-
vide legislation.
Temperance reform requires legisla-
tion now. There is no prospect that the
Prohibition party will ever be in posi-
tion to furnish it.
Temperance reform succeeds best on a
basis. The Prohibition
party insists on partisan basis,
Temperance reform requires all meas
ures and all weapons 10 fight the saloon.
The Prohibition party discards all of
these save one.
Temperance reform requires unity.
The Prohibition party creates division.
Temperance reform proposes a steady
advance all along the line, rhe Prohi.
bition party requires it to wait while the
party begins to commence to prepare to
get ready. Applause.
No, temperance reform does not re.
quire the Prohibition party any more
than wagon going up hill requires a
brake, 1t does not require a distinct
National party. The fight must be in
the states and when the states or ma
jority of them are right, Congress will
be right and will give us all needful
National legislation. Temperance re-
form, gentlemen, does not need your
party, but it needs you. have not at
tackled you as individual members, but
your party as a party. Temperance re-
form needs your earnestness. your cour-
age, your enthusiasm. 1t needs your
energies and the energies of your mag
nficent leader, General Fisk. APP
plause. do not plead for the Repub
lican party or the Democratic party, but
for temperance reform-practical COM
mon sense temperance reform. do not
say that the continuance Of the Prohibi
ton party is crime; say it is worse
than crime; it is blunder. Loud ap