Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-09-28

accomplished but little. Not 80 the Liberty
party or the Free Soil party These 9rganiTa,
men and political parties might ignore. but
which would claim its own at last That prin-
Giple DESTROYED the Wing party, divided the
center to circumfer nee. The Liberty men and
Free Sellers, believing that their principles
should be recognized by Government stood for
it as political issue, and in due time it became
tho doctrine of great party and finally the es-
tnblished policy of this great Republic.
Any question which is within the power OF
Government to determine may become a politl-
cal question. Revenue, currency, slavery in the
Territories, constitutional limits, and internal
improvements have been issues in politics.
The liquor question is political as we'll as moral,
because the Government gives the liquor traffic
legal basis. Whether that traffic shall be out
lawed and destroyed or legalized and encouraged
must be determined by the Government, and
questions of government that divide the people
IRE settled through political parties The liquor
question is pre-emnently a political question:
ind there is no issue at present before the peo-
pie which compares with it In Importance. Gov
ernment should protect it's own life and the vel
fare of its subjects. The traffic in alcoholic
or the public welfare The homes OF this coun-
try are of more consequence than tariff meas
ures; the morals of this people are of more
should include the higher interests as well as
the lower. A nation whose craftsmanship Is
brought to beur almost exclusively upon these
lower interests simply invites It's own destruc-
ton. LAW says Gladstone, should make it
us easy as possible to do right and difficult as
possible to do wrong That principle carried
Government toward the liquor traffic, and shut
up the grogshops which set snares for the feet
Of men.
Under the fostering care of our national and
State law, the liquor traffic has reached i'm
mense proportions.
The liquor men have entrenched themselves
in government. The saloon influence is corrupt.
ing the a ADMINISTRATION of affairs from the United
SthtpS COl1reSS down to the county, govern
ment. Shall our affairs be managed i'll the in
terests of til, saloon in the interests Of the
home? That is the question. 1t Is political
question.
The only consistent policy for tho enemies of
the LIQUOR traffic is Prohibition. Under license
and tax laws the evil grows because it has legal
basis. High License and regulation are falla-
cious compromise measures which cannot settle
the drink gu estion. But Prohibition must be
something more than local. a town or q State
cannot settle this question for itself. All the
forces of the Republic must be brought to bear
to sett1eit. The evil isnationnl and the remedy
must bs national Thus far there has been little
has been skirmishins now in one State and then
in another. No great question of war or politics
can be settled by skirmishing. IN ,fe ougnG 70
bo fighting all along tho line by a well-driilsd
army enlisted for the war. In other words, the
American people must decide on Prohibition as
q national issue and fight it out at the ballot-
was not national issue. We do not agree with
MIR. B aine An issue which touches every city
and hamlet, which invades every Legislature
and every Congress, which involves national in.
terest and Federal law, cannot be kept out OF
national politics. There is no such thing as a
national issue if the overthrow of the saloon in
politics and the des ruction OF the whisky tramc
be not national issues.
1.-The poiitici ms are getting up a scare on the
tariff Tho Republicans declare that the Demo-
Gratis are making the surplus u bugaboo, and the
Democrats declare that the Republicans are
making FREQ trade a bugapoo. We agree with
both Democrats and Republicans, and consider
oyy,yy
many years. The 'uncrowned king struck the
key-note by saying that the issue IN this cam,
paign was whe her or not American labor should
be reduc ID to the European level As historian,
Mr. Blaine refers to the tariff OF 1929 as the per
fected wisdom of tho Protection school, How
high was that tariff? Thirty-one per cent. The
perfected wisdom of the Protection school! But
as politician, Mr.. Blaine seeks to leave the I'M
preston that if the Mills bill should become q
law IA bill which provides for q tariff IL per cent
higher than the tariff of 1920, American labor
would be reduced to the European level. Hum.
bug! Here is another sample. The doctrine OF
the Democrats in this campaign IS tnat lakes
should be maintained on tobacco, whisky ana
luxuries and removed as far as possible from
the necessaries of life. The Republicans are
challenged to fight on that issue. Look back SIX
wears and you will see that tho Democrats have
stolen the Republican position. In ls5A the tse-
publicans of Maine had this plank in their plat
| form:
awe are unalterably opposed to Che abolition
| or reduction of the internal revenue TAX on
| lioucrs, and demand that all possible reduction
! of taxation shall DO made on necossnries and
not uppn Injuries.
%This is Democratic doctrine now, and the
| Republicans US a matter of politics have sud
| deniy gotten over their unalterable opposition
| to the reduction of Internal Revenue. Ihey now
propose to take the tux off tobacco because it is
| u burden to agriculture, aad OF splr,ts USED ~
tho arts and il necessary to save the high tariff
they will take the tax OF whisky ana Deer; ~ ~
| seems that they only unalterably opposed at
all times to what the Democrats propose 10 40.
There is IN re humbus and petty partisan poll
sented TO the American people Neither tariff
| reform nor protection viii! suffer by pushing
prohibition to the 'front.' and patriots anu C9 IRIS;
| drink by helping the politicians STIR the tarin
up. Push Prohibition!
Those who say that u new partyi is not needed
| must show that either of the old parties can or
will champion prohibition ns q national issue
| No man has been able to do this, ana the more
+; the attitude OF these pnrties toward the hquoi
question Is studied the more apparent Is tnen
| inab lity TO graople with the saloon problem
| Both parties nationally are opposed 70 pr0hlDl
| ton Democrats i'll the South nre 1rlendly te
| anti saloon legislation but the Northern Delnoc
racy is committed to some form of license. Re
| publicaus have passed prohibilory laws IN some
States md huve repealed ErohlDl> DRY laws laws, II
other States. In the close States the hepno
| lcau party is dependent on the liquor vote, hnc
| tries to satisfy the temperance men win hlst
license. The sn Don question Is trouolesoii1e u =.
! the Republican leaders, and they try to stand OF
| both sides of it. The solution OF the drink ques
tiou through parties thus related to u IS an I'm
| possibility There ARE some tnnSs tntu pss. .y
| cnnnot do They cannot espouse measures tina
| divide their forces and successfully establish
those measures. They can tonporize and com
promise and then suffer defent or extinction
| Tnat ia all. They cannot meet tho question
"A new party is needed to create enthusiasm
| in the anti saloon reform. Men organize ant
work for political issues and political chmpaign
educate 5he people The Wing campaign g, OF 1 l';
was a marvel of enthusiasm n, and song an
| stirred the entire country. Tho Lincoln cam
paign in 1860 croated I'M epoch in government b
rousng the latent sentiment
That shall surp1ss either of these is possible o
thu liquor s question when the enemies Of the
loon are organized politically Our country mt ha
in a whirl of excitement over the election OF
popular candidate and it can be mightil
wrought up by Prohibition as political , ISIS. dssu
enkindle en- husiasm in the young men OF tt
country, and create a campaign that shall lit U
the hearts Of the people. Such campaign