New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-08
4 UURD FOR TCHPERAN MEN.


Justice is slow of foot, but always comes for
those who can wait The people of this state
have for some years seen their Legislatures
and their Governors made for them by the
liquor traffic But now the liquor dealers are
turning against the politicians they have helped
and elected. and savagely denounclng them
because these politicians have not done what
the LIQUOR interest has demanded. Ii appears
that these politicians were willing to 60 quite
as far as they dared in order to satisfy the de-
mands of the saloons to which they owe their
political existence But they did not dare to
90 rs far as the saloons required in order TO
secure absolute immunity for their traffic on
SUNDAY and at other times. and hence they arc
denounced by those who put them in Office, and
threatened with defeat at future elections.
IL is hardly to be expected as yet that i'm
portant political results will follow this out
break of denunciatiOn. Nevertheless two i'm
portant lessons are offered for those who are
ready to learn from events. The first is that
the respectable citizens of this State cannot
any longer afford to allow their Legislatures
and thci: Governors to be made for them by a
bod, of men habitually engaged in disregard
inc the laws of the State. whose business the
public has deemed it necessary for its own pro-
lection to restrict. For there is absolutely no
limit TO the demands of this interest short OF
an entire sacrifice of the public welfare to their
private gains. No party that stOops to court
or consents to accept the support OF thlS III
tcrest can deserve the confidence OF the people.
because il cannot hope TO retain that support
without a surrender of vital interests OF society.
The other lesson is that those who nave
thought fit for SOM years past TO seek rem
cdv for the evils of incmperancc through Scpi-
rate party action have been making grave
mistake. Their course alone has made II pos
sible for the liquor interes. TO elect LegISlat-
ures and Governors in the state OF NeW-l DIX.
They are PERSONAL responsible for the cleo
ton of Governor Hill for the election OF 10Y
ornor Flower for the election OF the DEMO
cratic Legislature which has been III session
this year, and they are personally responsive
for all the bad legislation which Governor
Flowers signature has row placed upon the
statute books of New York. Battling for what
they could not accomplish, fighting against the
only party that has ever made an honest ell
fort to restrain liquor selling or to limit the
evil, of ntemperanc" these citizens have act
ualIv given complete power 10 the party when
the LIQUOR saloon; have controlled. II the
Legislature Of tina. party has not done every
thing that tho liquor saloons have demanded IT
is only because il did not dare. 1t is only be-
cause that party realized TINT every honest
temperate, man in tho state OF whatever po-
htcal opinion. would BE- anaycd against ii ii
il should venture further Yct for all that the
Legislature has done and for all that il would
have done il it dared those are personally re-
sponsiblc who have contributed by their scpa-,
rate party action to place the candidates OF
the saloons i'll power.
This is not the way to overcome evil. NO
GOOD thing can be done in this world by fight
ing against those whose tendencies and aims
are nearest right. and giving power TO those
whose tendencies and purposes an wholly
wrong. The theory Of pe>simiSm in public
affairs is little less than betrayal of every
sacred interest. There is no way To put down
existing evil but to join in good faith, and with
great charity and mutual forbearancc, with
those who will 90 futhcS, toward the SUP
nrnSsiop of OWL