Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-05
YARNELL ON POLITICS.
He States His Position in Very Plat
Terms,

EerinSs
The following communication from
Mr.. YarnAl explains itself:
EDITORS HERALD: The Times of this
morning takes exception to my COM
munication in the HERALD OF Friday.
1t says it is significant fact that pub
lished my views in Democratic paper.
So it is. When the Times made the un-
truthful statement that the Prohibition
vote at the last election had declined,
and was asked to tell the truth, it de-
clined, preierring rather to deceive its
readers than to do justice to party few
in numbers.
What the Times says of me and my
personal views is not matter OF i'm
portance to me or the public. What it
says in commendation OF its pet lambs
of the non partisan Republican, tenn
perance, Law and Order league is worth
considering in connection with the facts.
Here is it's own language:
cit is one of the very best commeDde-
tions for Mr.. Tufts that he is not
crank, and that the cranks do not come
to his support. 1t is for the best inter-
ests of this city that the liquor traffic
should be obliged to pay high license
and submit to the closest regulation to
insure good order. This is feasible it
is within our reach--we have it now,
and we want to maintain it,"
Now, what is the present status, that
the Times and its pious pets, or Repub-
lican temperance dupes, are 80 anxious
TO maintain? 1t is legal liquor selling
six days in the week and illegal selling
Sundays; it ia gambling in defiance of
law; it is prostitution, go open, brazen
ard impudent that every respectable
citizen is disgusted with it.
Who are these people that the Times
commends as supporters OF Mr.. TUFTS,
as practical reformers and not cranks,
because they are striving to maintain
the present status and keep the Repub.
lican party in power? They are church
members, goodly proportion OF them
ministers. They are all professed
friends of temperance and enemies OF
the licensed liquor traffic. In fact their
churches say officially that "license is a
sin." The preachers preach against it,
and they all pray without ceasing, ex-
cept on election day, that the wicked
traffic may be abolished. These practi-
cal temperance men not only fall down
and worship the Republican license
golden calf themselves, but they coolly
propose that the Prohibition candidates
shall withdraw, and Prohibitionists lay
aside their principles snd vote for
license.
These Christian men and ministers
teach that we should always do right,
and that if we do, God will so order that
all shall turn out for the best. That is
their simple Christian faith, until 1t
comes to politics, and then they seem
rather inclined to trust the Republican
party and its sinful license policy. For
wears they have told us that to ''licenee
is Sin" and to prohibit is right. Now,
will they tell us when it is going to be
time to do right?
A good many years ago made up my
mind to vote the Prohibition ticket. A
good, pious, temperance Republican
friend, seeing the danger OF such move,
talked to me after the following fashion:
"Now, Jesse, l wouldn't do that. You
know | am temperance man. | know
the saloons are great evil and ought to
be abolished, but this is not the time to
do it. Stay with the Republican party
this time; for, if the Democrats get in
slavery will be established, the rebel
debt will be paid, the fruits of the war
will he lost, and the country ruined.
Prohibition is right, but it is not time
for it yet"-and much more in the same
line.
At each recurring election since then
I have voted the Prohibition ticket, and
each time l have been warned, always
by good Republican temperance men,
who were in favor of prohibition, that it
was not time yet; that there was danger
of the Democrats getting il and running
the country, state or city.
The idea. conveyed if not expressed,
was that Democrats we're not property
holders, taxpayers and citizens like
other people, but public enemies.
Smooth Republican politicians, profess
ing to be friends of temperance, told the
story in plausible way, and for years
were able to deceive Prohibitionists and
keep them in the Republican ranks, but
in time it lost its force, coming from
that source, and had to be
presented under new auspices. So it
has bobbed up serenely, in some guise
or other. at almost every election, but
always the same idea-"Don't vote the
Prohibition ticket, or you will let the
Democrats get in and ruin the country"
In the present canvass for the
selection of city officers the old
trick is being worked by the
Gospel Temperance union, whatever
that may be, seconded by the Law and
Order league, and endorsed by the
Times. The Democrats. as usual, are
the bogie men, and the Republicans the
saints, who are to save our city from
destruction. Any Prohibitionist who is
deceived by this old trick needs bak-
ing over; he is too soft.
These good people make point
against MIR. Rowan that he is patron
of the saloons, shutting their eyes to the
fsct that Mr. Tufts is the same,