Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1891-07-09
DEHOC Ratio DOCTORS.

The democrats in convention at OF
tumwa passed a series of resolutions
conveying the views and principles OF
the party. The resolutions were pre-
pared by regularly constituted commit
tee, and presented to and approved
unanimously by the convention. The
plank relating to the establishment OF
saloons in the state, as thus passed, was
as follows:
That in the interest OF true temperance We de
mand the passage OF a carefully guarded license
tax law which shall provide for the issuance OF
licenses in towns, townships and municipal cor
pOrations OF the state and which shall provide
that for each license an annual tax of $500 be
paid INTO the county treasury and such further
tax as the town, township or municipal corpora
ton shall prescribe, the proceeds thereof to 60
to the use of such municipalities.
In the foregoing form the plank was
printed in democracy's organ, the Des
Moines Leader, on Thurday and Fri
day of convention week. 1t was ap'
parent from reading of the platform
that they had abandoned the local OPP
ton feature of their old saloon policy
In the success they had attained in
electing governor and causing tie
in the lower house, they had grown ar.
regant and dictatorial, and proposed to
force saloons INTO every town in the
state despite the prOcliyities or prOtes
tations of the people. The ultimate
policy of the democratic party is fol
free whisky and Ia this plank they had
approached one step nearer that enc
than in any previous platform in Iowa
The step was gratifying to large ele
ment and they congratulated them
selves and the brewers upon the pros
pect. But there was still another fac
ton that was surprised at this show OF
arrogance and force and raised cry
The party bosses became alarmed fol
fear of a loss of the vote of the liberia
voters who claim the local option right
to establish or Danish the saloon. Or
Saturday the bosses held convention
of their own and added the local option
feature as printed between brackets in
the following paragraph:
We again declare that in the interest of tru,
temperance we demand the passage of a care
fully guarded license tax law, which shall pro
| vide for the issuance of licenses in town, town
ships and municipal corporations of the stat,
by vote Of the people of such corporations an'
which shall provide that for such license an an
nual tax of $500 be paid into the county treasury
and such further tax as the town, township Of
municipal corporation shall prescribe, the pro
Ceeds thereof to 90 to the use OF such municipal
tiles.
In secret session the democratic
doctors altered the platform and ther
made the bare faced announcement
that mistake had occurred in print
ing it. 1t had been prepared by COM
mittee, read before nine or ten hundred
delegates, copies prepared by the same
committee, given to the newspapers
and yet through all this mistake haC
occurred. The explanation is prepOs
ferrous and does not explain.
The people of Iowa can very readily
see that it was an attempt to force sa
looms into every locality in spite of the
wishes of the voters, and that when the
bosses were alarmed by the disturbance
which the atrocity created they simply
winked and withdrew to the dark room
of democratic politics and doctored il
to meet the emergency. The party is
hopelessly under the control of bosses
when its platform can be so freely
mutilated and reconstructed.