Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-11-20
REPUBLICAN CRAFTSMANSHIP

REPUBLICAN sTATEsMANsHIP.
After some discussion on the subject
the recent republican conference at Far
go decided that prohibition was not now
nor should it be an issue in the next
campaign. It was admitted that the pol.
icy of the republican party should be tc
accept the situation and stand by the
laws as they exist. 1t was argued for
the best interests of the party that this
red rag of prohibition should be Haunted
as little as possible in the next campaign
and that as there was an honest differ.
ence of opinion among republicans on
the question of regulating the liquor
traffic it was urged that it was sufficient
to commit the republican party to the
honest attempt at enforcement of the
prohibition law. 1t was urged Othat,
in view of the fact that North Da-
kota has prohibition as a fundamental
principle and severe penalties as a SUBJ
sequent enactment-both owing their ex-
istence mainly if not entirely to repub-
lican inf1uence-there would be as much
IN the national republican conven-
ton declaring, at this late day, against
slavery, az for the republicans of North
Dakota, after voting prohibition into the
constitution and passing a stringent
penalty law, to declare in favor of pro-
hibitlon.
1t does seem, at first thought, as if
there was logic in this conclusion. but
prohibition, in North Dakota, like Ban
quo's ghost, will not down, and the re-
publican party in North Dakota has got
to meet the issue just as often as it
comes up. In fact the republican party,
or an other party can not afford to
ignore al issue Of so much Importance
as this. It ought not to be an issue be-
tween the two political parties. Tenn
perance ought to be regulated by society
and public opinion regardless Of party,
but it is not, and we must accept the
situation as it exists.
The question of p%rohibitio- ought not,
and possibly may not become an issue in
the next campaign, but the conditions
at present do not warrant such a predic-
ton. There exists in the minds Of a large
number of anti-prohibitionists the belief
that the last legislature legally passed a
resubmission act, and all that is necessary
is to pass this resolution in the next leg
islature and then appeal to the people to
repeal the prohibition article in the state
constitution. This being true, the senti-
ments of legislative candidates in many
districts will be questioned in the next
campaign by suspicious prohibitionists
and the result will be a decentralization
in the politics of this state next year.
1t must now be apparent to anti-pro-
hibition republicans Of North Dakota
that the haste in the last legislature to
undo the work of the people in voting
prohibition, before its enforce
ment and beneficial effects could be sue
,ssfully denied was a mistake, The
TRIBUNE has always advocated temper
ance, but not prohibition, believing that
the experience of other states sustained
the theory that prohibition does not pro-
hibit. It has, however, advocated the
enforcement of the law in this state, be-
cause it is the people of this state who
must be convinced of the workings of a
prohibition law-its failure or success.
Had the republicans last whitehall of
them-been emphatic III their refusal to
counterance any measure calculated to
weaken the enforcement OF prohibition or
undo the fundamental law, the argu-
ment that prohibition is a failure might
now be successfully championed, and
the conclusion reached that some other
means Of regulating the'liquor question
should be tried. Rabid and unreasona-
BILE prohibitionists would not have been
30 suspicious and could not have charged
republican dishonesty in the treatment
OF this great question. It will now re-
quire good craftsmanship, a calm and
deliberate Judgment and no little strate-
gy for the republicans of this state to
steer clear of breakers next year.
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WORKING OF THE M'KINLEY ACT:
GREAT DECREASES OF BRADFORD EX-
R "A consular return issued on Fri
day shows a remarkable falling off in the
volume of Bradford trade with the United