The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-08-13
OPINIONS OF 1889
Comments Of Leading Republican
Papers on Prohibition.
DECLARE FOR LICENSE
Post Elttt on Opinions Written When
Partisan Conflicts We're Ended.
WHOLESOME TRUTHS TOLD


Injury t. thu stase-Its R,psal
Urgsl and D.
msndsl.
Following the election Of November,
1889. the republican Newspaper editors OF
Iowa had On opportunity to think and
write In the light Of defeat; in tho quiet
Of their sanctums. unhampered BY the
partisanship engendercd BY ! political
contest They wrote some wholesome
articles and told some wholesome truths.
These articles are Of particular interest at
this time. representing Is they do the
% m. sober. post election judgment Of
those who have been and are the strong.
sst partisan advocates Of the prohibitory
law. A few Of them are appended:
OpiRions Of 1889.
Dee Moines Register: There can be no
doubt 10 tho minds Of unprei udiced N that
the republican party has been loaded lwn
too much In the last few years by email men
and small ideas. It VAS not for X 6ecsion
upon particular candidates 1t this cotton
(l66D) that many mon voted against the re-
publican party. but there is too much reason
to believe that II WAS - rebnke 70 the gem
erAl spirit that has tried TO run ! broad gauge
party on marrow gauge track.
No man VINO he's carefully watched the
course Of the party for the last four years
can deny that 1t has been seriously embsr-
raised By the tendency TO run TO hob ,ic and
single ideas to the exclusion Of . broad and
liberal consideration Of al interests. just as
soon . : political party begins 70 maze one
idea IL test Of party feAlty. II ceases 70 be.
come patty and becomes m association OF
M nhv Pfdaea
But there has bcsn too much disposition in
Iowa 20 hold tho party down TO the measure
OF one idea, ana drive eli men through that
groove or throw them overheard. II has
been very evident In tae matter OF proaibi-
ton. Too often mon have been .. leclsd for
Office because OF their special activity q pro-
hibitionists. and hAvc been barred from once
because they didn't believe In prohibition.
There have basn counties IN which . man
couldn't be nominated for the legislature.
and . ,aroely any county 0fnse. who Y - not .
prohibitioniss both By theory and By prac
tice. Tnas kind Of prescription had Two Of.
tests. It drove some good mon out OF the
party and fastened some mighty mean upon
1t. The setting up Of that one issue - test
Of party fealty or gu Ain .ation for o.Iic shas
bee1 DISASTROUS both 70 the party and 10 the
public service. Not every prohibitionist IL
qualified to make good public odlcial. nor 10
every anti rOhiblti0nist. Ths mistake 10 In
nxlng the one idcA - The paramount consld-
that ths party. Instead of selecting tts stroas.
est, bruadsss and most capable men, has too
often tAken weak, nAre0w-mnded and no.
worthy meu whose chief bid for public favor
snd confidence WAS That they we're Ill right
on prohi,,fson. A part cant keep that pol
n- -
fore yer colnnsni pubic confidence An sup
port.
Sioux City journal: The Auscatine Journal
says that what 1t wants Ia order to enforce
prohibition 1 4 Iowa 10 .'the metropolitan po-
hoe fore, law which has worked % admir-
ably in Kansas" Does the Muse 1t ne pap
know tnAt the Kansas prohibitory law IL mild
aud gectle ~ compared with the provisions
for the enforcement Of the Iowa prohibitOry
Law? Such i the fat. Tao injunction pro.
ceduro In Iowa IL the most draslio rcmsdy
ever devised. tis Simply device for get
ting around tho necessity for trial by Try. II
carries . criminal o1ense over - the equity
side OF the docket. And, not only 90, but Is
breaks down all the ordinary rules OF equity
proceedings, for IL does mot require the COM
plAinant 20 R,ve bonds for good faith II
allows the liberty and property Of citizen
70 be put Ia constant Jeopardy BY the veriest
scou adrs, 10 the community. There 10 moth
Ing OF this In the Kansas prohibitory laws.
Dss Noincs Register: No state In the un-
Ion except prohibition Iowa, permits the open
aud unrestricted sale OF liquor La . territory
IS large ~ Rhode Island, NJ largo ~ Dsle-
ware and half as large ~ Connecticut. Why
shouldn & Iowa TAXI . forward step aud cay
that the liquor traffic in these counties must
be controlled. Why shouldn't IL take for
ward step Aad be at lsast ~ progressive In
pract cal temperance work - i.s neixnhors
on every side! II : physician fnds shat one
kind or treatment dOesn's give relief. he
tries something else. Ho doesn't keep on
with ono line OF remedies when he knows at
ter thorough tcsting shat IL Is . failure Nor
DOES he ineist that because one treatment Is
50 u for one man 1t lnust necessarily be for
another. Tho state OF Iowa has been sxpes-
imcntns with prohibition for years IL has
found that the treatment fits Tho case in
eighty odd counties, but IL has proved fall
ure In the other counties. itAn's IL part of
good common sense to say taat We will try
something else where the old remedy has
fsi .ed2 Must Scott county be abandoned be-
cause 1t tsn't helped By the Same m madeline
that cured Dallas county, Instead Of pro-
posing Any backward step the Register 10 In
favor OF . forward step, ono tnas will givs
Us SONS control over salnons, where now
there IL noae. II II tho people whose false
pride keeps them from 0onceding that pro.
hibition has utterly failed in dozen couo.
ties that are for backward stop. For every
DAY thAs they lot tho saloon 60 uncontrolled
By any legal restraint whatever they take
step towards the Gays Of unrestricted liquor
frame.
Ksckuk Cato City: OF course . majority
Of Iowa republicans are prohibitionists. You
may say the majority have the right to rule.
So they have, but the minority have . right
10 make themselves : majority by going
n alta nm m M at ne Nal v3r
And that, II 10 plain, 10 now what they are
going to do. This will put the republican
party and tts prohibition majority In o
hopeless, helpless minority Ia this state.
The republican party will b down and the
prohibition that the majority of the party
the situation fairly and calmly stated. We
ask the prohibition republicans 10 consider
II without heat or passion and prudently
resolve what course 70 pursue.
Spirit Lake Beacon (senator Funk's pa
peri: We have only one criticism to pass
upon the republican party OF Iowa relative
to its relations with the prohibitory move.
ment. II has Welded too far In matters of
detail % the pressure OF impractical and I'M
poftunate enthusiasts. II was not enough
that tho party took it, lifc In Ito hands and
enacted rigorous statutes against tho saloon
and practical laws for tho general suppress
sion OF the liquor traffic. The enthusiasts,
the imprAoticAls. tho cracks, the demARogues
insisted Il as tho sales might be wholly sup.
pressed, And TO this end tn, legislature has
been burdened with suggestions, arguments.
entreaties. demands Add threats. Life must
b made . burden 10 the honorable ~ we'll
- the dishonorAble druggist. Compliance
with tho Law became almost out OF the ques-
tion, and premium WAS placed upon perjury.
The pharmacy Law enacted at the last session
was the resuis Of this yielding policy Of tho
party. We are sure that the practical NOM