New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-21
,lnTrlfRNT BACkWARD.

rhs nautical prohibihonists are receiving
THAR reward. In New-Jersey the County-oP-
tion bin has been repealed by the Democrats
: o.,s,o,,rre which owes it's existence to the
foolish waste of votes by professed temperance
men. and the repeating act also atoeinPiS "
efface the no-liceuse vote OF the people III oei-
tain counties last year. Whether the courts
will hold that this part Of the bill IS Valu of
that the part which provides for township W,
ton Is constitutional, many seriously douDV' ouO
the Intention of the Democratic Legislature Is
now recorded, and the practical result Is III
INV event serious setback for the cause OIL
temperance, In four counties pracucal fro-
h;bition had been secured already under ne
publican legislation and in ten or twelve more 10
would soon have been, so that protection oil the
homes in more than half the State is by Demo-
cratic legislation refused, even though the ma
iority of the people In the counties desire IL,
ON the other hand, the township option woulu
he of little practical benefit while IL Is serious
IL questioned whether that part OF the act may
not be found invalid, leaving the people WITH
ont any power whatever to restrain the hquor
traffic.
Such are the practical achievements OF po-
I;,;caI probibitionists in New-Jersey, and the
defeat of the Prohibition amendment IN New
Hampsbire must be attributed to the same
cause. Few of them will doubt that the naturai
indignation Of temperance voters who are ne
nubIcans had an important influence. When
the poitical Prohibitionists deliberately SET
themselves to aid the Democratic party ana 10
defeat the only party which has ever done any
thing for the cause of temperance, they were
earnestly urged to remember that such course
would arouse a resentment most unfaVoraDie
70 Prohibition, and would inevitably turn thou
sands of temperance voters against the metnou
which the prohibitionsts advocate. They have
only themselves to thank il in New Hampshire
and many other States the current OF puDhc
oninion now sets irresistibly against the meas
ure they favor.
The practical tendency is to render progress
tbroueh Prohibition everywhere UNNECESSARILY
more difficult and in most States impossible.
The method which the Assistant Democrats
have insisted upon has been put further OH
by many years through their conduct. Mean
while, practical temperance men will turn with
more hope and greater unity OF effort TO Incense
measures. as the most effective restriction that
can now be secured. Against these the po-
litical Prohibitonsts protest with all their
might, but that fact will help such measures
materially. License must now have fair trial
for some years it is probable, in most OF the
States before any appeal can again be made to
public opinion in favor of Prohibition with any
chance of success. II this Judgment OF tho
situation is correct, and every temperance voter
oo,, Jot ,;ua for bin,aaf yYhetheP il is or not
by observing the sentiment Of the people in
his own region, the obvious duty of such voters
Is to cease wasting time, effort and votes in the
advocacy Of method which has become for
the present impossible, and to unite with other
temperance men in striving for the best license
laws that can be secured.