The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-04-22
Col. Bain's Lecture.

his characteristic DIaZeS OF elOQueUce'
"Oar Country's Bill of Fare' the title
of his brilliant lecture was divided into
three courses with the necessary entree
and garnishes. Emigration and the
influence of conditions were the first
two courses and the prohibition phase
of the temperance cause was reserved
for the desert, this being the Colonel's
favorite course. The brilliant orator
had no new thoughts to present in this
line. No advance has been made. The
education of the public and church has
been much enlarged on the evils and
power for evil of the liquor traffic dur
ing the last five or six years but no
its unchecked march is apparent. The
prohibition political party method has
not even approached anything like
check to the traffic. The reasonable
hope of the most sanguine of success on
that line has fled. In spite of the de
termined efforts which have been
made through distinct political party
well organized and persistently worked,
the liquor traffic has steadily gained.
Last year the government received
SIP 600 900 in round numbers for pro
tecting the monopoly which is the
largest sum it has ever paid into the
| treasury of the general government in
any single year. The old political parties
which used to fear the threatening
demonstrations of the prohibition party
scarcely have regard enough for it to
mention it any more, while the saloon
has ceased to try to conceal its outrages
against society and scorn of laws for
its regulation and control. 1t is
manifest and Enthusiastically so, that
the plan of conquest laid down by the
prohibition party has failed and must
be abandoned if the liquor enemy is
ever to be yanquished. The great
captains and leaders in this campaign
have either not lost faith in their plan
or have not had the ability to improve
on it or suggest a change. 1t is most
probably the latter and they desperately
cling TO what their better judgement
tells them is hopeless, still PRAYING
that something may turn up.
The reason former methods have
failed and all future efforts on the same
lines unaided by change of conditions
must produce no permanet results
appears meyer to have been considered
AT least these causes have not been
brought prominently to the front. The
United States government sustains the
liquor business bv protection" of
six hundred per cent and enforces this
protection by an armed force which
etfectually prevents competition. The
fostering care of the government does
not stop here but furnishes financial
aid to the extent of endorsing for the
liquor business on deposited collateral
eight times the amount of that collateral
There is no other interest which re-
ceives anything like the protection and
nurturing care of the government that
the liquor business receives; not even
the national banking monopoly or the
highest protected manufacturers We
hold that there is no moral and political
force combined, able to cope with an
opponent which is so strong upheldbv
the financial and military power of the
government. The prohibition party
has brought into the field against the
liquor traffic all the combined moral
and political power that is or has been
possible for it to muster and the
evidence comes fIOm every quarter that
the fight has been losing one, and the
most cool headed of the party are
seriously considering a change in the
order of battle. The Voice, the 'storm
center" of the party has got so far as to
virtually say, "let US try once more on
the Old line and if we make no advance
try another plan of campaign"
The impreguable fortress from which
, the ehemy draws all his supplies is in
the United States government and he
cannot be dislodged until the revenue
taxes on the manufacture and sale of
spirtuous and malt liquors are repealed
The loss OF this revenue can be more
than made good by an income tax
which system is advocated by all of the
reform associations. Free whiskey
would soon destroy the monopoly in
whiskey, and the government receiv-
!, ing no income from it would withdraw
its protection and the financial credit
which it now advances to the monopoly.
Let this fact be impressed upon the
reader never to be forgotten that our
government protects nothing but mo.
nopolies, and the citizen, never except
in his person, never in his property.
Having by a repeal of the internal
revenue tax oil liquors gotten Gear of
the powerful aid given the liquor trade
by the government, com petition would
speedily destroy the monopoly. The
next step to he taken would be to get
rid of state and municipal protection to
the traffic by repeating all license laws
for the sale of liquors This cou d be
done by first placing the liquor selling
licenses on the same plan with all
commercial or trading license If the