Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-09-03
An Appeal From the Northwest to Those
Temperance Men OF Maine Inclined
to Vote For The Third Party.

An Appeal From the NORTHWEST 20 xnoso
Temperance Men of Maine Inclined
to Vote For The Third Party.
The Republicans of the Northwest feel
that upon the temperance men of Maine
rests heavy responsibility. 1t was through
the action of delegate from Maine that the
Republican National Convention was induced
to put the temperance trumpet between the
Republican party's lips. If the Republican
party should reduce its majority in the COM
ing State election. after thus being committed
to the furtherance of temperance, deep and
inefaceable would be the stain upon the
Third Party temperance men of Maine.
Temperance men who have Third Party in
tentions, seek to draw from the Republican
party a sufficient number of voters to cause
the victory of the Democratic party; then,
when they have broken down the Republican
principle of Protection, and other objects
dear TO them, expect them to be smitten with
the hand which has smitten them. Is
not this expectancy chimera?
If the Republican party should be broken
down, as you of the Third party have pre-
sumed to hope, it would not be broken to
YOUR purposes; it would be broken into
enormous fragments. You could not expect
them to make common cause with the dis
rupters. A great portion would raise new
issues, or bring subordinate questions into
prominence. 1t would be far more con-
sistent for them to do SO than for the ex-
treme temperance men to ayowedly work to
keep the whiskied Democracy in power.
The condition of the Temperance move
ment would not be as favorable as it is now
with the Republican party committed to ad-
vance it, and whose platform tends to
educate the people to a favorableness to-
wards this contamination. Now is the su-
preme opportunity for temperance men.
The South would still remain solid should
the Republican party be broken. Southern
temperance men in Prohibition National Con.
ventions, have been, for the most part,
merely decoy ducks for the benefit of the
Democratic party. The Prohibition Third
the South until the vexed question of Pro.
lection rersus Free Trade is finally settled
Mills Texas speech declaring that he would
not cease his efforts to secure Free Trade,
speaks the sentiment of the Southerners, and
shows that his present bill is only an enter.
ing wedge to break down Protection, the
Of Nnrtharp DO
lieving that the special interest of their
section is Free Trade, at least in manufact-
ured articles, they will never vote for any
Prohibition National Candidate so long as
year after year they entertain the hope of
breaking down the tariff through Democratic
successes. Hence the Temperance men
should vote this year with the Republican
party and for Protection, and the preponder-
ance of the nation should give the South to
understand that the intention to make re-
peated efforts to break down the tariff would
prove of no avail. Hopeless of their tariff
breaking scheme the Southerners must turn
to Temperance or some other issues.
The Republican Senate's notifications of
the Tariff will give to the South all that
may judiciously be granted and Temperance
men, by voting the Republican ticket will be
terminating the Tariff issue, and clearing
the deck for action on other issues. Then
if the South conceives that the temperance
cause is of sufficient moment to become the
next general issue it can strive to advance
the same and so can the North since the
tariff issue will no longer be an obstruction.
Hence, the fairest hope for temperance
men lies in aiding the final disposal of the
tariff issue. If they will aid in the election
of Harrison Morton they will find that
President Harrison will be ready to accept
anything which is attainable for temperance.
WILLIAM STANLEY.