The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-05-30
THE SALOON AND POLITICS.

Warner Miller stood for living issue
in the politics of this State last fall, and
although he fell, as the Democrats now
facetiously declare, "outside the breast
works" the cause which he personally
championed survives and the time of its
triumph, perhaps under the same lie der
ship, is not far distant. 1t bids fair TO
be fastened in fact, by Warner Millers
defeat, Grown arrogant in their de-
mandS, the forces against which he con-
tended are do doing much to open the
eyes of the Prohlbitionists to the real
situation and to convince them that a
separate party pressing an unacceptable
theory, urging an impracticable measure
of relief, is simply placing good men
who abhor intemperance IN close ALI
ance with the rum power that now con-
trolls the Democratic party of New York,
il not of the nation, thereby retarding
the reforms viii many other States
have accepted with such beneficial re
suits. In this connection the utterance
of General Clinton B. Fiske of New Jer-
sey, the Prohibition candidate for Presi
dent in the last campaign, ARE of the great
SIS & rife nee. Originally,a Republican,
he lett that party, no doubt sincerely be-
lieving that by composing its defeat he
and his followers could force upon 1t &C
ceptance of the Prohibition platform.
The Republicans of New Jersey had pas
sed a high license and stringent local OPP
ton law, This should have been accept
ed by the Prohibitionists as an earnest of
of the Republican desire for honest and
practical temperance reform, but they
were not satisfied and continued last fall
their efforts to defeat the Republicans
with such success that the state was
handed absolutely over to party bound
hand and foot by the saloon influence,
Now mark the result. The temperance
laws we're not modified, as might have
been expected from far seeing politl-
clans anxious to hold fast some degree
of respectability they were absolutely
repealed, the old order of things was re-
stored, and today the sale of liquor is as
unrestricted in the state of New Jersey
as it was before the demand for temper
ance reform took shape and force. No
wonder General Fiske is disguised no
wonder he has returned to Republican
allegiance with the determination to
unite Republican and Prohibitionists in
contest for renewal of the repealed
restrictions. The wonder is the folly Of
separate party organization has been
maintained so long in face of the loudly
expressed public sentiment that high Ii
cense could be made effective where pro-
hibition would fail
As the national candidate of his party
General Fiske's advice will no doubt be
needed by large numbers in this State,
and should the high license bill be vetoed
by Governor Hill again this year there is
little doubt that Prohibtionists in New
York will follow the example of their
friends in New Jersey by casting their
lot with the party that hts given evil
dence of the sincerity of its desire 10
crush out the saloon influence in poll les
by passing practical laws for the restric-
ton of the liquor traffic. In the last cleo
ton the Prohibition cast about 30,
600 votes. Governor Hill's plurality was
less than 90, 900. Warner Miller made
his contest on temperance platform and
and was defeated by temperance votes.
1t is easy to figure what the result would
have been had union such as General
Fiske suggests been made last fall, 1t
will require no stretch of the imagina
ton to predict what the result will be
when such a union is made, and the
signs of the times portend that we are
rapidly drifting toward the consumma-
ton of that end. The restriction of the
liquor traffic is the State issue of to-day.
Prohibition is not, never has beer, and
we very much doubt if it ever will be an
issue in New York. High license has
the merit of being both in the interest of
the cause of temperance and susceptible
of enforcement. 1t is cause that will
finally triumph and when it does the
man who fell "outside the breastworks'
will rejDice in the consciousness of hav-
ing first waved aloft the flag of this re-
form as a standard of his party, if indeed
he does not finally plant it upon the
very watch tower of the enemy's citadel.
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