The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-07-09
The Cry free Whlskex.


opened the campaign with the cry, disingen-
Gus as it is boisterous. that the Republican
party is in favor OF free whiskey" We be-
lieve that the position of the Republican par
| ty on the temperance question, past and
present, may be confidently left to the un-
prejudiced approval of all candid friends of
temperance. And we believe that no
thoughtful man. who knows the immemo-
rial record OF the Democratic party on the
temperance question, will be for moment
deluded by the sophistry of its orators. The
editorial from the great religious journal,
The Independent, expresses, we believe, the
feelings Of every true temperance man
towsrds the Republican position:
The cry of free whiskey has been raised in the
Democratic camp against the paragraph in the
Republican platform concerning thd internal rev
enue. They say the Republican party has de-
clared for free whiskey, and they appear to be
very much concerned about it, This show of
concern is very amusing. The Democratic party
Is about the last party in the world to object to
free whiskey. 1t is the party which solidly OPP
poses all temperance legislation In all the North
ern States and is committed against all "sumptu-
ary'' laws in its National platforms If it now
appears for the moment among the sons of sobre-
ty 1t is only for the purpose Of affecting the faith
full. Its character has undergone no
change, not the least.
The cry Is simply campaign cry, raised In the
interest of the party and the party's principle of
free trade. Let no temperance man be deceived
one moment by it, on he will find himself tricked
by the enemies of temperance.
In the first place it is not true that the Republi
can party has declared for free whiskey. What
the Republican party declares by its platform is
this; The Republican party would effect all need
ca reduction OF the national revenue by repeating
the tax upon tobacco. which are an annoyance
and burden to agriculture, and the tax upon spir-
Its used in the arts and for mechanical purposes,
andiby such revision of the tariff laws as will tend
TO check imports of such articles as are produced
by our people, the production of which gives en-
ployment to our laborers, andrelease from import
duties those articles Of foreign production, lex
cept luxuries,) the like of which can not be pro-
dnced at home.
This is not declaration for rrec whiskey.' but
for the release of spirits used In the arts and for
mechanical purposes If such use of spirits is
legitimate land what temperance advocate would
hold otherwise?) the proposal to remove the tax
on them is. In no sense, a crime against temper
ance. After making the foregoing declaration
OF policy with reference to the reduction of the
surplus, which Is to be accomplished it will
be noticed, not alone by modification of the in
ternai revenue laws, but by such revision of the
tarin as viii release articles of foreign produc-
ton Except the luxuries), the like Of which can
not be produced at home,' this sentence is add
ed; If there shall remain larger revenue than ]
Is requisite for the wants of the government, we
favor the entire repeal of internal taxes rather
than the surrender Of any part of our protective
system at the joint behest of the whiskey trusts
and the agents of foreign Manufacturers
If there is any free whiskey in the platform II is
in this sentence, and IL there is any free whiskey
In this sentence it is only there as an inference in
contingency. The plain. open meaning of the
words is this: If the proposed removal Of tax on
tobacco and spirits used in the arts together with
the release OF duties on certain imports, should
not reduce sufficiently the surplus in the treasury
and the alternative should be the surrender Of
any part of our protective system or the entire
abolition Of the internal revenue system the lat
ter should be sacrificed and the protective system
retained in its integrity Upon this point we en-
tirely agree with the platform, and so does every
true protectionist, however radical may be his
temperance principles. 1t is vital to the interests
which are secured by protection that the protec-
i've system should be preserved 1t is not vital to
the interests OF temperance that the internal rev.
enue system should be preserved
AS matter of fact, the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union, the third party and many
leading temperance Republicans (Mrs. j. Ellen
Foster asked the Platform Committee TO sweep
away the internal revenue SYSTEM believe this
poncy 10 De the true temperance policy. We
nave disagreed with them for the reason that we
peneye the tax to be check on the traffic. How
great a check it is we do not know; but whatever
It's restrictive power it is manifestly not perma-
nent principle of temperance reform, but only a
temporary expedent. As such we want it to
STAND until 1t has served its purpose and is super
seueQ py something better, or until il can no
longer Dc retained Without sacrificing part of
the protective system. As no temperapee advo.
cate claims that national taxation is the only true
and effective, or even that IL is the best method
OF promoting the cause, it is absurd to make all
TINS nue. and cry about the Republican party de
ciaring for free whiskey. The platform Of the Re-
publican party In more than thirty States, and
the legislation, restrictive and prohibitive it has
secured, are standing proof Of its policy respect
ing free whskey.
The Democrats, as party, care no more for the
Internal revenue system, in reality, than they do
for temperance. In fact they are opposed to the
system and hated 1t most cordially during the
war, when 1t was necessity Now that it is not
necessity, they only endure it because il gives
them an opportunity to attack protection. The
maintenance Of the tariff is far greater offense
to them than free whiskey would be- The Cnica-
go Tribune, a Republican paper was the first to
sound the cry of free whiskey. and it has been
widely quoted, as though it led the charge in the
interests of temperance. The real explanation
is that the Tribune shares the views of of Presi-
dent Cleveland's tariff message. 1t was so little
interested In temperance plank in the platform
that it said not single word in support of the
plea OF the anti-saloon Republicans, and did not,
so far as we have been able to discover, even
mention the fact, as matter Of news, that such
plea was made before the Platform Committee.
We are very free to say that the Platform Com
mittee made great mistake in not reporting an
anti-saloon plank and the Convention made a
mistake when 1t tried to correct that of its
committee in not adopting more definite ex-
preston in favor of temperance but we are un-
willing to see any earnest temperance people
mised by the false cry that the Republican party
has declared for free whiskey. 1t is a cry in the
interests of tinkered tariff and not of temper
ance. If the Republican party really wanted free
whiskey it would reduce or abolish the duties on