The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-05-06
LECALIlED EVILe--NO. 81.
written for the News-Democrat.) }
BY JOHN DANNER.

against the legalized saloon Both or
ganizations say, the only way to deal
with the saloons Is to have no sa-
looms" SO far we, are agreed. But
the difference lies In this: The Anti
Saloon people attack the saloon men,
and the officers for the non-enforce-
ment of law while the Prohfbitionists
arraign the law making parties. that
legalized the traffic.
The anti-saloon people are constant
ly at work Tor local option, in wards,
townships, and counties. The Prohi-
btionists want state and national pro-
hibition, win political party in pow
er which favors such laws. They both
acknowledge the existence of the dead
ly upas tree, k-sown ais the American
saloon. but our; sAnti-Saloon league
friends rely upon local option solving
the question. of the destruction of the
saloon, while the Prohibitionists con-
tend that both the Republican and
Democratic parties are the defenders
OF the saloon. as both have declared
in their national conventions that they
are opposed TO prohibition and are In
favor of tax and license laws for the
legalization OF said traffic; and both
these parties seek the saloon vote.
The Prohibitionists contend that tho
tax and license laws for the saloon
are the bulwark for the traffic, and
all the saloon element is supporting
these two great national parties; the
Prohibitionists feel that under such
circumstances. neither of said politi-
cal parties should have single ballot
from loyal christian, or practical
temperance man. Our anti-saloon
friends cling to these license parties.
chiefly the Republican party, seeking
to nominate good men, within said
parties pledged in favor of local option
This we cannot endorse as the nation
al policy of both parties is to legalize
and protect the liquor traffic through
out the nation.
1t matters not how good a man may
be in his personal habits and views
If he Is elected to Office by either the
Republican or Democratic party, it
Is expected of him that he will not do
anything that will conflict with the
policy of his party as laid down in its
national PLATFORM for it has been
proven very often that when good
men are elected to office, by these time
serving liquor parties, from consta-
tho edicts of their party, or off goes
their head politically.
We, as Prohibitionists cannot sup
port the best man living as long as
he is identified with and supports a
tax or license party; but our anti-sa-
loon friends do, and that very fact
divides US. To simply work and vote
for local option and not try to defeat
political parties who support tax and
license laws FOR the liquor traffic, Is
like trying to kill the deadly upas
tree of the liquor traffic, by here and
there clipping off little outside twig;
while the true way to kill such a
poisonous tree fs'to take it up by the
roots, and every fibre that clings to the
roots and burn them in the fires of
an oppressed and outraged people.
That our anti-saloon friends are
honest in their hatred of the saloon we
do not call in question. but they fail
to record their convictions at the bal
lot box, and there is where we great
ly differ. But for us to vilify and ira
duce our friends in the anti-saloon
ranks for their failure in this respect,
would not help us, and we feel equal
ly sure that they will loose many
friends and supporters, If they under
take to vilify and misrepresent the
loyal Prohibitionist for recording
his convictions at the ballot box.
1t Is not the Prohibition party that
we seek to advance, but national pro-
hibitiOn of the liquor. traffic for bey-
erage purposes. If either of the old
tax or license parties will reorganize
and throw overheard all tax and Ii
cense policies for the legalization of
the liquor traffic, throughout the state
and nation and declare for state and
national prohibition, we will at once
Join hands with such party as did
the Freesoil party with the old Whig
party, when they reorganized and de-
clared against the extension of sla-
very, and adopted the name of Repub-
lican party. 1t Is not party, but prin-
ciple that we seek. 1t is quite GER
tain that no political party can ad,
vance temperance and good morals as
long as 1t upholds any form of tax
or license for the deadly liquor traffic.
Tho two great national political
parties, not only desolate our own
land. by their league with the rum
power, but they legalize the export
of intoxicating liquors to foreign and
heather nations, so that the American
flag protects the brewer and distiller
in debauching heather nations as
much as 1t does our missionaries and
the result Is, that ten times as many
heathens are cursed thereby as all our
toiling missionaries can save. 1t Is
time to stop this great iniquity and
we can only do 1t by recording our
protest at the ballot box and in this
our anti-saloon friends do not agree
with us.
The greatest success OF local option
We know of in this country. is in
Quincy, Mass. where Hon. Henry II.