San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-04-17
NOT A REPUBLICAN FIGHT.

The democracy of Texas seem some
what agitsted because San Antonio re-
publioans are not pulling their chestnut
out of the fire. The howl is being
raised that the republican party Of
Bexar county is leaning towards prohi
bition because the county convention or
last Saturday refused to instruct it's dele,
gates to incorporate an anti-prOhibition
plank In the state platform. The
democracy need not worry. The sentl'
ment of the Bexsr county delegation to
| the state convention is as squarely anti
prohibition as were the votes OF repub-
lioans last August. The county conven.
ton did not choose to receive instruc-
tions from the source through which
such instructions were prOffered. That
was probably the size Off There is this
to be said, however lin that matter: This
state is q democratic state. The author
ity is democratic. The responsibility is
democratic. All oppositions to ex-
listing conditions and policies are OPP
positions to democratic movements,
and the republican party is meddling
with what does not belong to 1t at this
stage Of the game when it NEEDLES with
q democratic fight which is destined to
cripple the democracy OF the state.
When the affairs of Texas, democratic
cally administered, are not administered
acoeptably to majority Of the people
of the state, some other party will come
to the front. The republican party will
be found on hand then and there, ready
to do what the democracy cannot do.
give Texas an enlightened, satisfactory,
progressive, liberal and economical state
government. Till then it would be folly
for the republican party to come in as
factor in the fight now waging between
the prohibition and the anti-prohibition
sections Of the democracy. When the
fight was a peoples fight between the
prohibs and the antis, the republicans Of
this state were in the forefront of the
fight and cast at least seventy-five per
cent OF their votes against the prohibit
tory amendment. Now the fight is
purely democratic one. a party fight.
Prohibition is defeated in the state.
The republicans have done the lions
share of that work, necessitated by
laundering democratic legislature;
legislature that submitted the
question to the people. What
more have the republican party to do
with this matter in Texas? Let the
democracy continue their fight. Let
the prohibs and the antis in the demo-
cratic camp fight it out. When it comes
to a constitutional amendment vote it is
easy to repeat the tactics of last
August. But go long as it is demo-
cratic fight pure and simple why
should the republicans sail in. The
part Of wisdom for them, sound politi-
csl wisdom, is to wait until the demo-
cratic fight is ended and one faction or
the other gets whipped. then let the
republicans pitch into the depleted
ranks Of the party left in possession, and
carry the state by the assistance of the
defeated democratic minority. TO
enter the fight now Is to assure the con-
tinuation of the state government in the
hands of the democracy. TO keep
hands off, wait till one side or the other
is whipped and then seize the bone of
contention. that is the control of the
state, this is true wisdom for the repub-
llcan party in Texes today.