The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-02-02
The Ben Bunker and Rust Party.

The new party born in this city through the
instrumcntaity of men who have graduated
from other parties as the boy went through
college. by entering at the front door and being
kicked out of the back door, has laid out a
programme of great magnitude. Its motto is:
''Put none but free rum men OH guard;" and
when it has carried the State and elected a
Democratic legislature, it proposes to amend
the constitution in the interest of free rum,
refund to the rumsellers of the State all that
they have paid out in fines, and then put the
special constables in Jail. This is a work which
cannot be done i'll minute, and there are var
iou> obstacles in the way. First and foremost
is the Republican party of Maine. which placed
the rrohibitory laws on the statute books, and
by its platforms and the words of its leaders.
prominent among whom are James G. Blaine
and VIM. p. Frye, is pledged to the cause of
temperance. The third party is also in the
way. Now that the lines are being drawn, and
rum sympathiZers of all parties arc drawn to
the Democratic party like flies to a molasses
barrel, while the Republican party stands
squarely up to its professions and pledges, the
third party men will see that there is no further
need TO maintain separate organization. If
such need has existed in the past it certainly
does not exist now.
Experience in other States has shown that a
decided and aggressive stand on the liquor ques-
ton brings back to the Republican ranks
large number of Prohibitionists. At the cleo
ton of 1856 the Prohibition candidate for Gov
ernor of Pennsylvania polled 81 ,422 votes. The
Legislature elected OH that day was over
whelminyly Republican, and it passed what so
far appears to be an excellent high license law,
besides voting to submit a prohibition amend
!nent to the popular vote. As a result of this,
the Prohibition vote fell off forty-three per
cent. and last year il was only 1S.47l. A
like result is predicted i'll New \ DIRK at the
coming election, where a decrease of forty
three per cent. from the Prohibition vote of
1851 would be Il ,995, or more than the greatest
Democratic plurality of 1887. The Massachll-
sets Legislature has just passed prohibtory
resolve with practical unanimity among the
Republican members. Sew Republican Rep
rc>entative>.' says the Boston journal, 'faed
10 recognize their honest obligations to their
party platform. As to the Democrats, they
We're true to their traditions in the substantial
solidity with which they opposed the resolve.
ANY measure, whatever the degree of its Elf
| cheney may seem to be. which proposes to re-
strict the liquor business pevcr fails to be re-
| pu.nant to Them
The new party finds itself confronted by the
Republican party of the State and Nation. but
its leaders are used to kicks and cuffs. their
con>ciences like their hides are caSe-hardened,
and their thirst for office is unquenched-
likely to remain unqucnchable. The party or
gaH> thus far are Ben Bunker's Democrat and
the Prog. Age. and certainly one would con-
| slider the latter a poorly dis yuiSed trap in
which to catch Republican votes. Ben Bunker
says that the laws ''intended to restrain the
sale of liquor and suppress drunkenness" must
20; and proposes at the next election in tie
name of personal liberty ''votiny only for
candidates who will pledge themselves to vote
i'll the Legi>laturc' for tie repeal of the liquor
| laws. The Prog. Age proposes the same
thing. and calls the Republican legislators who
enacted these laws "a class of mpracticables.
intolerants and moral visionaries." Abuse of
Republicans from that source is neither new
nor surprising; but why should Republicans
| train under such a banner:
Writing of the candidates now i'm the field