The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-11-02

we are at loss 10 understand why they
are clamoring so loudly everywhere for
law to suppress the rum trade. The
fact is that both the dominent parties
have two distinct sets Of constituents.
One is the whiskey constituency aud
4 the other the temperance constituency.
The aqua rifas constituents are the ms,
and the aqua pure are the outs. Some
times the outs grow so clamourous that
the old parties toss them the heel of a
loaf, aud say, s'there-that ought to
satisfy any reasonable people," But
these factious, turbulent, temperance
people declare that their bread is as
hard as stone if not literally stone.
and that no efficient means are proyid-
ed to enable them to enjoy even this
crust. The officers these parties elect
are in "cohoots" with the liquor men,
and the little the temperance folks
have received is destroyed or taken
from them. The leaders of the Repub-
lican party do not claim that the party
is a temperance party. Nowhere in
any OF the party's declaration of prin-
ciples can such claim or rather
acknowledgement be found. and the
leaders sin the North" would spurn
such a charge as SANDER. A party
calling themselves "anti saloon Repub-
!icans," headed by Albert Griffin made
every effort 10 get temperance plank
in the Republican platform at Chicago,
but Sheridan Shook who is the boss
brewer of New York, and was chair
man of the Republican delegation from
that state said they were not going to
get any such plank in the platform,
and they didn't. And the chairman
of the convention is one of the largest
wine and brandy manufacturers of Cal
ifornia. Do you suppose such men
would preside over and help manage
the machinery of party that showed
any weakness for temperance laws?
Hardly. Oh no, don't SANDER the old
parties, either of them, for being tenn
fperance parties. When they pass
bill relating to liquor selling they are
both careful to wash their hands after
it is passed, by saying to the people,
'now you vote on this if you want it
for law. We are not going to give
this bill the dignity of law" But our
correspondent answers what he is pleas
ed to call his argument in acknowledge
ing that both the parties touch the
liquor interest very gingerly for fear
that 1t would injure the party in some
districts. Just write all of the districts
and you'll have it correct. In plain
English the leading men of the old
parties are afraid of the liquor interest
and dare not offend the liquor men.
This being true what hope or prospect
is there OF ever suppressing the rum
traffic through these mediums? Simp-
ly none whatever while the temperance
men act the part of voters and the whis-
key men act the part of managers of the
parties.
These are not our arguments but the
reasons these wrong headed temperance
men give for starting party of their
own. And we are endeavoring to teach
our correspondent the A B G of the po-
litical temperance movement. He is
little dull in learning the alphabet, but
many able men have been slow at first.
and like these we hope he will come
out after while as heavy weight in
the liquor battle. He is evidently be
wildered by the false theories the saloon
party have SO industriously circulated
and taught, and in place ofgoing to the
pool of Sloan to wash his eyes he is
heading toward the saloon. But we
will not make this lesson so long as our
former one, that appearing to have
been too much for one exercise, and
will have to leave few points unex-
planned although they appear to be
simple and easily compreheaded. The
Chester county local option flaw, for
instance; when the old parties wanted
to convince the saloon what a fast
friend they were. and to teach temper
ance people how dangerous it was to
rebel against the party whip.
If either of the old parties would take
hold of the temperance question with
the firm grasp that they seize the tariff
there would be no third party, but
while they play fast and loose game,
promising to the ear and breaking to
the hope" a distinct, temperance party
will be maintained and steadily grow
in numbers and influence