Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-14
WAS IT MANLY PRINCIPLE Or HYPO
CRITICAL PRETENSE

Platforms of political parties are mere
condensed declaration Of principles, hay
ing reference to existing and vital issues.
They are not essays or arguments. They
are meant to be the briefest, most forcible,
unqualified and condensed declaration of
principles, defining the position of the
party making them upon existing issues
They are not TO be read by themselves as
things abstract and apart, but they are to
be read in the light of the issue before the
country which calls forth expression
They are, therefore, to be understood as
having reference to current discussion,
current political movement, and current
thought. In nearly one-half of the States
of this Union the prohibition of the manu-
facture and sale OF Intoxicating drinks is
h1rning issue. Referring directly to
this issue the Republican and Democratic
Conventions have made declarations
BY recalling the nature, intensity and OPP
position of the parties to the conflict On
the one hand, the prohibitionists con-
tend that the manufacture and sale of
intoxicating drinks has such relations
with society, and indicts such injury upon
the body polite as to wholly Justify the
States and the nation in restrictive, repres-
sive and prohibitive legislation. Opposed
to this, the ti-prohibitionists declare
that the manufacture, sale and use of
into1icants is a matter of purely personal
concernment, and that to prohibit the
manufacture and sale is to prohibit use,
and that such prohibition is an inva-
sion of a private right. The anti-pro-
hibitionists also contend that it is none of
the business Of the Government, whether
an individual chooses to drink, or to let
drink alone; that the promotion of TEN
perance should be left to the moral sense
of each individual member of the COM
munity that to attempt to regulate mans
appetites with reference to drinks is open
ing the door to a regulation of what he
shall eat and wear, and that, therefore,
prohibitive legislation is in the nature of
sumptuary euactments. Sumptuary laws
are defined to be laws passed by Govern
ment TO restrain the expenditure of its
subjects or citizens, either in apparel or
otherwise. When, therefore the Demo-
cratic National Convention passed resc-
luton against Sumptuary laws, it echoed
the leading argument of the anti-prohibi-
zionist and arrayed the National Demo
cratic party against prohibition. Let the
real point not escape the attention of the
reader. Platform declarations have refer
ence to existing issues, current thought,
current opinion and all political
activities current at the time the
Convention formulating the platform
is held. Holding this standard in view,
the position Of the National Demo-
cratic party on the subject of the liquor
traffic cannot for a moment be misunder-
stood. If the Democratic doctrine, as
enunciated in the platform, prevails, then
the legal restriction, repression and
prohibition of the liquor traffic can never
occur. The Democratic position is,
therefore, distinctively that of the anti
prohibitionists. On the other hand, the
Republican platform distinctly declared
that the first Government of all govern
ment was sobriety. For the purpose of
determining the position of party on a
question, it is not necessary to add any
other words used, "Sobriety and virtue"
does not in any sense modify the unequivo-
cal position of the party in the declara-
ton that Sobriety is Government of the
Government, and not a matter Of personal
choice. The key to the whole position re-
sides In this one question, as to whether
sobriety is a matter of personal choice or
a legitimate subject for governmental reg
ulation, and upon this question the Re
publican national platform declares in
favor of sumptuary regulation to the ex-
tent at least of regulating, REFRESHING or
prohibiting the manufacture and sale of
intoxicating drinks. This plank in the
Republican platform refers directly to the
burning issue of prohibition, which exists
in many States, and which in the States of
Kansas, Iowa, Michigan, Massachusetts,
and Maine are paramount issues. The
fact that that plank of the platform was
introduced by the Maine delegation throws
food of light upon its meaning, its
breadth and its full significance The del
esation from State where the question
of the absolute prohibition of the manu-
facture and sale Of intoxicating drinks IS
vital, living issue, rises and induces the
Republican National Convention to declare
that sobriety is a Government of the
Government, and necessarily not a mat
ter of personal choice. But this is
only the first portion, the premises
so TO speak, Of the Republican declaration.
The correlative declaration is that, there
fore, the Republican party sympathizes
with all well-directed efforts to promote
temperance. Having declared sobriety to
be matter ofgovernmental Government.
the efforts referred to in the correlative
clause Of this plank of the platform must
necessarily refer to governmental effort,
nor can i be contended that the unre-
stricted right to manufacture and sell
whisky, for illustration, is well-directed
effort to promote Temperance. When,
therefore, the Republican platform de-