Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-09-21

''.SeA
party OF free rum.
WHY DOW JOINED Us.
THE FATHER OF THE MAINE LAW
TELLS HIS REASONS.
In Mainestlle Rum Vote Has Become SOL
idly Republican - The Party Far Worse
Than In Other states. Considering tho
Circum stances.
When abandoned the Republican party
the bosses pretended to rejoice at it, say
Ing was always troublesome member of
Importance. That is true. but tho reasons
which determined my action would certainly
influence great many others to follow my
example. From the first year of the party
was loyal and earnest member Of it until
became - convinced &C. beyond all possibility
irrevocably committed to the support. pro-
lection and perpetuation Of tho liquor traffic.
In September. 1884. the people of Maine.
by majority Of A. O75. put Prohibition into
the Constitution against I'LL the influence OF
the Republican bosses. who bitterly opposed
submission. although the party was pledged
to it by the platform Of its preceding State
Convention. Whom driven to the act Of SUBJ
mission. the bosses. by y pitiful trick. at
tempted to render the measure far worse
| ment and had put into it the passage: And
the Legislature shall enact whatever laws
are necessary to enforce this amendment"
Instead OF adopting this. the bosses struck
out the word shall" and inserted may"
threat to defeat the measure Us being far
worse than nothing. that the bosses re-
treated ANONYMOUSLY from their position
and restored the word shall" The chief
boss in that infamous fraud said to me.
equal force. the-one with the other" Ire
piled: Then why do you strike out the one
and insert the other?" To this he made no
| answer.
| In spite OF this command of the Constitu-
| ton and the oath Of the members Of the
Legislature to be true and faithful to it. we
have been unable to obtain any effective
measure for the suppression Of the low
| grogshOps which infest our cities. The
keepers of these vile holes vote the Repub-
lican ticket. except those in Lewiston and
except one only of those in Portland. For
merly all of these men voted the Democratic
ticket.
These grogshops, exist in Mime only by
| the special and persistent protection of the
Republican bosses. who rule the party in
this State even more despotically than Tam
many Hall rules the Democratic party OF the
Fof this State. by at least threo-fourths Of
| their number. are temperance men and Pro-
hibitionists. It is OF the greatest moment
to the progress Of prohibition throughout
the English speaking world that the liquor
traffic should be thoroughly swept out OF
Maine, and this could be done effectively by
such amendments to the law as would rem
| der it Improbable and uncomfortable to all
who persist in violating it. 1t is q leading
part Of the Republican policy in this State
IL A< Me- ,,v kh<,nn
whom the bosses can manipulate. Our late
Governor Bodwelli was y. true: temperance
man and ProhibitiDnist.. who earnestly
strove to do his duty, but the rum0r in this
State is that he was killed by the persecu-
ton and bulldozing Of the bosses, who in,
and contemplate. politician does ward
caucus.
The court officials are norninated and
elected with express reference to- the nom
enforcement Of the Maine law. and by nc
efforts of ours, though earnest and persist
emit. can we make the least impression upor
the Republican bosses. who control all po
litical affairs Of the State as absolutely ii
the stage-driver controls his team. The
party in Maine is governed. as contractor
governs his crew. by a ring composed o.
not more than ten men. while the rank and
file of the party have no more to do with
any question Of policy than Barnum's bears
have to do with the tunes to which they
dance.
The Republicans party in Maine is fal
worse on the temperance question than it is
in any other State. considering the fact thai
the people. irrespective Of party. are op.
posed to the grog-shops by an overwhelm.
ing majority. and in favor OF the rigid en-
forcement Of the law. But to the will Of the
people the bosses are as Indifferent as the
Gear Of Russia is to the hardships anC
dreadful wrongs Of the wretched exiles o
Siberia.
It is the policy of the Republican party il
the nation. as we'll as IN many states. .
men engaged in which are among the mos
infiuenti al and most trusted members in it
They are presiding officers of conventions
both national and State; they are honoret
members Of committees on platforms ant
, OF national. State and city committees. con
tributing largely to Republican campaign
funds, and controlling absolutely the polio.
of the party as to the trade"
No man has put the actual position Of tn
party in its relation to the liquor traffl
and trusted leader OF it. Governor Foraker
Of Ohio. did when he said THE policy Q
taxation Qicense) to the liquor traffic i
eternal. and the Republican party is irrevo
cably committed to it." This is not the mcr
publican paper. the New York Tribune
said Of him after this: Governor Forake
is one of the men entitled to say what tn
) Republican party means" And the Cincin
natl Commercial Gazette said: The Re
, publican party has its work to do. and pro
! hibtion is not part Of it." I think there
! but one Republican paper in the country i
favor of prohibition. while all of them sup
port the party in its attitude of hostility to i
. The accom- lishment Of this great work
: the suppression OF the liquor traffic-is {
9 Unreasonable importance to the prosperit
of the country and the perpetuation Of II
Q institutions. II not effected in the comm
= mense hordes Of the residuum Of the Stun
!. and cutters Of Europe are filling the coun
g try rapidly. all Of them having the bale
r within five years at the most-all Of thel
in favor of the European Sunday and tn
European drink-shops: and this immens
. voting power, with the indifference Of til
church as body, will inevitably dellvt
Il our nation over to the basest elements
our population. The deliberate. settled pc
icy Of the Republican party is running RAJ
Il idly and surely to that conclusion.
: NEAL Dow.
PORTLAND, Me-.