The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-07-19
sI.oo A YEAR. IN ADVANCE.
Friday. July 10, 1850
The Amendment Epoch.

Amendment submissions lately and there
are more 10 follow. New York and Mary
land are among the latter in this game of
political thimbleriging. 1t is well laid
scheme of the politicians 10 bleed the liquor
associations. These gentlemen have drawn
more money from the liquor mems pockets
within the last year than they ever handled
In election campaigns before. In the late
election in Pennsylvania the lowest estimate
we have seen is placed at a million dollars.
This Matchmaking Of the saloon in Massa-
chusetts and Rhode Island was no doubt
in the same vast proportion. The next
harvest from this source is to be reaped in
Connecticut. In S. Dakota and Montana
the same "land agent" business is expected
10 be accomplished. The professional pol
iticians in Maryland are keenly anxious TO
get whack at the money bags ofthe saloon.
So exercised over the prospect are the po-
litical daily papers of Baltimore that they
scarcely publish an edition that hasn't an
encouraging word for the enterprise.
This whiskey bonanza has been such a
rich find that the political papers of Iowa
and Kansas ale agitating the question Of
"resubmission," and it is not unlikely that
amendment ca upaigns'' will be started in
these states to bleed the liquor associations
The ring politicians of both parties are into
this scheme up to their eyelids. They have
discovered that the mention Of ''prohibition
amendment" is such terror TO the saloon
that it is willing TO part with its last dollar
TO insure protection against this enemy.
The astute politician has double purpose
in working the amendment and high license
racket. The contributions in solid cash
from the liquor party line Ills pockets as
they have never been lined before, and the
saloon vote is held solid in the respective
parties, the amendment prohibition club
being constantly held over its head. Had
it not been for this submission amend
ment' discovery, in all probability the DEM
ocrat party with its ''anti sum ptuary" prin-
ciple would have succeeded in scooping the
entire whiskey vote and its big pocket book !;
but the long headed leaders of the republi-
can party saw the strategic point which the
prohibition agitation had uncovered, Of pro-
hlbitory amendments to state constitutions,
and coupling it with high license, they took
possession and fortified that ground. The
saloon saw at once that the republican parry
had it in It's power to crush it in every
northern state by amendments, and the pol
iticians challenged the liquor interest TO
stand and deliver, which it has been doing
in most satisfactory manner to the former.
90 The indications are that this thing will
go on as long as the so,oon can be bled, and
the politicians can fool and wheedle honest
temperance men with the non.partisan fac.
While there is no party to answer to, the
machine workers and party newspapers can
accept the frightened saloons Doodle, as the
price of their assistance 10 defeat the pro-
posed amendments. Sooner or later this
game of corruption and villainy must come
to an end. Honest temperance men, though
apparently the slowest of all animated
nature to perceive plain truth, will event.
nally come to understand the fraud, when
there will be an immense accession to the
Prohibition party. When that time comes
which is inevitable, or there is no truth in
principle, the liquor vote must go to one or
the other of the two parties. Temperance
men and the saloon cannot continue voting
together to obtain Numerically opposite
results. A point will be reached ere long
where they must divide.
The strength of the temperance vote is
shown in the vote of IA States and one Ter
ritory since 1880. This vote shows that
1911 300 votes were cast for prohibiting the
liquor traffic by law in those state, ], 065, 7S5
were cast against prohibition, while e37 $3.50
failed to vote. There is no inducement for
that vast vote of / eli 300 which has been
polled in favor of prohibiting the liquor
traffic. going back to the side of the saloon,
when the time arrives that one or the other
side must be taken without disguise or false
issues being raised.
The saloon has been emboldened bv the
seeming success it has gained by the free
use of money recently, and that will cause
it to be more dominering and aggressive in
its demands. 1t is impossible to believe
that this great vote against the liquor power
will continue to be used by that power
through politicians to aid the saloon in over
riding and defying decent, moral public
sentiment and violating law at its pleasure.