The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-05-03

pelling the party to become everywhere
the avowed champion of the home, and
irreconciliable enemy of the saloon
The more intense and overmastering,
the loathing with which good people re.
gard this accursed drunkard-making
business becomes, the more fiercely do
those engaged in it demand protection
from unfrIendly legislation and honest
officials and the more unscrupulously
do they fight every candidate who refuses
to give them the pledges they demand.
This is natural, but IL is also natural that,
even among those politicians who care
nothing for temperance, the determine
tion to defy the insultingly dictatorial
gang that has so often proved itself un-
reliable and treacherous, even after its
commands had been obeyed, should be
come general,
Constitutionally, dramselers are
Democrats, and, for dozen ears, those
of them who were in (but not of the Re.
publican party, have been gravitating
homeward. Alarmed and enraged at
late legislative action, and the rapid
growth of the Anti Saloon Republican
movement, they cast but few unscratch
ed Republican tickets last fall. When to
pdSb dIlo dlO duutu lIlt iOItbuduOWtu
events of the immediate future, it must
be apparent to dispassionate thinkers,
that every man pecuniarily interested in
the liquor business, who cares more for
it than he does for the party (and is not
fOoD will hereafter be "a working
Democrat. Passion, prejudice, self-n-
terest, and their convictions of right, all
mpel them to this course. and party
leaders who ignore the fact, no matter
what their promises may be, they can
not be safely relied on hereafter, are un
pardonaby obtuse.
1t is therefore waste of time to try
to pacify them. Moreover, their pres
ence repels better men. They are like
pest-house flags that mark localities to
he Stunned. 1t is notorious that they
will support no party whose success
they believe to be inimical to their busi-
ness, and the presence of any Considera-
BILE number of them in the Republican
ranks in any locality Is therefore primd
fdcie evidence that a double game is
being pl yed at that place.
When convinced that substantially all
saloon keepers Except spies and mar
plots have left the Republican party,
and that it will hereafter be the rrecon-
oiliable enemy of that business, large
number of Anti Saloon Democrats,
Greenbackers, Third Party men, and In
dependents, will join us-and they will
not do 80 before. With their help we
triumph, and without it defeat is inevit-
able, Therefore, the quicker those who
are sure to vote against us, and whose
presence is communicating, go where
they belong the better will it be for the
party.
II the political Bourbons who suppose
they can give such prominence to the
tariff and Southern questions as to slide
over the saloon problem one more cleo
ton, could have their way. an over
whelming defeat would be the certain
consequence. Like most Republicans, |
am decided protectionist, but multi
tude of voters, whose thoughts run more
10 moral and social, than to economic
questions, either care but little about
the tariff, or incline toward free trade.
To secure the help of this class it, is ab-
solutely necessary to put Protection or
American Homes against the Saloon in
the platform as clearly and honestly as
Protection for American Industry
against the low wages and cheap capital
a
of United we stand, divided we fall
know well the Temperance element
in the various parties, and do not hesi-
tate to say, that, ifartful dodgers should
be allowed to frame the next Republican
platform, and conduct the campaign,
they would cost the party at least a mil.
lion votes, and prolonged demoraiza.
ton, as well as crushing defeat. But |
have no fear of this, for Republican
leaders are not fools, and the reasons
why the party should take decided
stand are unanswerable and oYerWhelm-
ing.
The proposal to defy the liquor power
does not appal politicians as much as it
once did. Kansas and Iowa proved that
Western dramsellers cannot control the
votes of their Republican patrons, even
against the most radical measures, and
last falls election proved that Eastern
Republicans also care more for their
party than they do for the saloon. In
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts,, the
liquor fraternity was defied, and the
party majOrities were increased. In
New York, the platform was strong
enough to ALLEVIATE the saloon vote, but
the question was handled so carefully
during the most of the campaign, that
the confidence Of the general temper
ance public was not fully secured; yet
the Democratic plurality was only To-.
900 with 900 Republicans remaining
at home Everywhere the saloon keep
ers and their lackeys voted the Demo
cratic ticket solidly, and fought the Re-
publican party viciously, and every
where that the Republican party took
up the gauntlet. promptly and courage
ously, it was victOrlous-.hus demon
strating that the power of the saloon at
the polls is usually vastly overrated.
Our loss need not be great, and oar
gains should be large, Cowardice or
duplicity would increase the first and
lessen the second, while conrags has the
opposite effect, The immediate results
will depend largely upon the prompt.
ness with which political managers ac
cept the inevitable, and the intelligence.
energy aud persistence with which they
disseminate needed information. and set
themselves TO quietihg angry passions,
and awakening the better impulses of
that class of voters who will not listen
to regular temperance workers, but will
heed the statements of party organs and
workers. There is great deal of this
kind of work to be done and there is no
time to lose.
The present problem is How can the
party be placed on the new platform so
as to gam the most and lose the leastT
To it | answer: make it manifest to all,
as long as possible before the meeting of
the National Convention, that the party
will not consent to anything that looks
like an ATTEMPT to concilIate the liquor
interest. Such a course would ensure
three desirable results.
/. All honest Republican dramsellers
would accept the situation, or JOIN their
brethren at once, and there would be
but few acrimonious contests either at
primaries or in conventions.
2. Many political managers, to whom
this policy is more or less distaseful,
wonld, before getting hot, decide to
make the best of it, and help molify dis
gruntled friends before they are lured
into the opposing camp.
8. Honest enemies OF the Saloon, now
in other parties, would join us at the be.
ginning of the campaign, and help with
voices, pens and purses, as well as votes.
The how to do this is very simple.
Let all who favor that course say so
privately and publicly and lol 'tis done,
The Anti Saloon Republican National
Committee earnestly requests every Re
publican Of even mere local prominence