The Newtown bee., 1891-05-01

the engraftlng or what haS since grown to be the modern "high tariff system, upon the Republican platform of 1860, it is true and fair to say that this step was understood and intended at the time as primarily measure for revenue, and that the subsequent experiences of civil war carried it beyond all the thought of it's framers, and thus saddied upon the gov ernment an institution of monopoly, fav- oritism and corruption which was not gen. erally forseen or anticipated. Experience with the "war tariff proves, if it proves anything, the vital necessity of "eternal vigilance" to see that nothing of ultimate menace shall creep in upon the nation by flattering promises of help in the hour of dire need. It is an experience which only confirms the truth that attention should be concentrated upon the main issue and no new experiments tried until that is settled.
 First, then, we must broaden our plat form as rapidly as may be, to compre- bend the full import of the liquor quest ion. We may well study the Declara- tion of Independence and those old Free soil platforms of 43-'56 for sugges- tions as to how to impress the people with power.
 l would have our platform define, as concisely as may be, the exact meaning and scope of Prohibition, as was done to a commendable degree in the Connecticut platform of 1890, bringing out the fact that Prohibition is not an abstract ideal, but definite policy of government; not a mere purpose, but a specific method :; not the thing done, but the way to do it..
 l would emphasize the essential sim plcity and unity, the uniform and etfec- tive consistency, of the Prohibition party proposition, as superior to the prevail ing tendency, among even many of the undOubted enemies of the saloon, ten dency to methods which complicate the problem unnecessarily, by proceeding upon lines so falsely-broad that they dis sipate energy and confuse effort. would suggest in concise and direct terms the danger that may be hidden in a too-diverse activity; that to rely upon ''the use of all available legal measures for the restriction and decrease of the sale of intoXicants," and upon the ''per- sistent effort to overthrow the liquor traffic by the enactment and enforcement of ProhibtOry laws" see Platform of Connecticut Temperance Union, may in of i,1Cr fond to lead us into the maZes and quagmires of local option and high license, and thus into what John B. Finch so aptly termed the hopeless folly of fighting the rum power "by piecemeal."
 The fact needs to be taught that Prohi- bition is a comprehensive, unified policy of national government, designed to con- centrate all effort against the alcoholic drink traffic upon the seat of power and authority, the national capital. l would dwell most emphatically upon the nation al character of the issue; upon it's in- trenchment in national laws and offices it's intrenchment, protection and promo tion by the present system of internal revenue, which makes it virtually the ward and the foster-child of the nation and thus by analogy, as James c. Blaine has said, "the permanent resource of al the states.''
 would point out the appalling domi nance of liquor in the social and political life of the nations capital; the unprece- dented number of appointments of will ing tools of the rum power to occupy the very head centers of governmental direc- tion and authority; the examples of dram-drinking and dram-selling set by the executive heads of the nation; the tolerance and even popularity of the traf- fife in the very halls of legislation, and the disgraceful scenes so frequently re- sulting.
 l would cite seriatim overt and treas enable acts of this liquor oligarchy: Its intimidation of business interests by the "boycott;" it's deliberate suppression of the freedom of the press by threats and bribes; it's shameless debauchery of the police service; it's corrupt manipulation of executives and legislatures it's open
 
 outrages upon political liberty and free government in recent amendment cam paigns, and especially in Nebraska-fit parallel to "Bleeding Kansas of anti slavery days; it's unhesitating resort to assault and even to murder upon those who simply dare to insist that the peo- ple's law shall be obeyed.
 I would show the relation of this rum power to other political issues That civil service reform and ballot reform and honest elections are fatally handicapped so long as the spells system has the sa. loon for recruiting place; that it saps the life and energies of laborer and farm CT by entailing upon them, as the req producing forces of the nation, the un. speakable burdens of it's financial anG economic waste; that the tariff question is impossible of settlement as long as the liquor oligarchy controls the internal rev. enue system to it's own ends, joins hands with universally condemned monopolies to defeat the popular will, and thus, by complicating and blockading the whole question of revenue, prevents the fram ing of a revenue policy adapted to the nations present needs.
 In brief, I would declare in "words that burn'' the fact that this nation is ruled to-day by the kindred powers o1 rum, corruption and monopoly, and tha the rum power is the King power; wher !, it falls, it's allies fall. It is time that thi! people shall issue a new Declaration o !, Independence, and the Prohibition party . has the opportunity, as the duty, tt 5 frame it.
 "But what of other issues, of curren , political questions, as independent fea