Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-20
A TEMPERANCE VICTORY.

| The Result of Tuesdays Election So Consid-
| cred by Several Philadelphia Papers,
Editorials From the Leading Evening
Journals of That City-The Herald Be-
labors Quay and His Party.
rFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
PHILADELPHIA, June 19.-The evening pa
pers devote considerable space to editorial
opinions on the result of yesterdays election.
especially the Bulletin and the Telegraph. The
former. in the course of its remarks says: 1t
is more than possible that the saloon interest
will regard this defeat of prohibition as Pc
culiarly triumph of their own and that they
will be emboldened in advancing against the
salutary reforms which have been introduced
through the medium of the Brooks law. There
are many of these people who are now looking
forward to the beginning OF a popular reaction
as a result of the verdict against prohibition,
and who predict that it will hot end until that
wise and wholesome law has been either re-
pealed or modified. Nor is it. by any means
improbable that the course of the Prohibition
lists, in swinging the pendulum to the extreme
on one side, may have tendency to
give it an impetus in the opposite
direction. In view of this danger-and
it will be more perceptible later on than it is
now-the friends of high license cannot too
soon make clear their purpose of taking no step
backward. They need to serve notice, in plain
terms, on these enemies of the law who assume
that the majority against prohibitonis is warrant
enough for a general movement to the front of
the liquor interest, that no such proceeding
will be tolerated. And 1t Is right here that the
Prohibitiontsts themselves, who must admit
that high license even at the worst is better
than no remedy, should show their good sense
by turning in with the supporters of the exist
ing laws and making the best of the situation.
There will be no room and no excuse for any
display on their part of resentment or surli-
ness. They have been defeated openly and
fairly and after they had everv possible oppor
tunity for ascertaIning the extent of their
strength with the people. 1t Is therefore their
duty to abide the will of the majority. Prohi-
bition in Pennsylvania is henceforth dead is
sue.
In the Interests of Reform.
The Telegraph says: There is one argument
that these people are always putting forth as
an apology for their extreme views, and this is
the abolition of slavery. But apart from the
fact that there is no sort of analogy between
the holding of slaves and the use of intoxicants
it is very necessary to bear in mind how and by
whom the abolition of slavery was brought
about. The people who declared that the con-
stitutional sanction of slavery was covenant
with hell had about as much to do with aboli-
tion as the faDled man in the moon, unless, in
deed, their naggings of the Southern slave
holders may be said to have CALLED them into
rebellion. However, we don't care to argue this
point. The prohibition proposition is defeat
ed and SO well defeated that there is no room
whatever for doubt as to how public opinion
in Pennsylvania stands with regard to it. This
defeat means that hereafter in this State the
subject OF temperance will be discussed from
different standpoint than hitherto, and that
the same force of public opinion which secured
the enactment of the license law will be exerted
through the Legislature, and in all other proper
and reasonable ways, for the promotion of the
true temperance cause. The defeat of the pro-
posed amendment is in no sense defeat or set
back OF most important reform movement,
but it will rather promote 1t by aiding to bring
into active sympathy with it considerable
number of citizens who have hitherto stood
aloof, because they could not bring themselves
synonymous terms
Not Rum Victory.
The Item says: Don't assume that the result
on prohibition is rum victory" 1t is a VIC
tory achieved by the conservative temperance
element of the State, who believe that prohibit
tion does not prohibit
The Netcs says: As decided preponderance
of sentiment favored the enactment of the
high license law, it is safe to say that yester-
days outcome does not mean that the people
are not in favor of temperance and severe re-
strictions upon the sale of liquor, for they are.
The State does not want prohibition, but 1t
does want sObriety and the liquor interests
should bear this in mind and refrain from de-
stroying themselves by attempting to modify