The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-04-30
VAST TEMPERANCE WAVE.

a WI iSoP"'-"~ -
WASHINGTON, April sth. The tenn
perance question will not down IN Con-
eress. A week ago the liquor interests
were confident they had won their hgDt
to prevent legislation OF any sort at t!ils
session inimical to taelr business. 10.
day they see Indications which LEAD
them to fear the temperance forces VIII
get about all they ask for before the
session ends 1t is the word from
home" that is bringing about the
change. Both senators and representa-
tiyes are receiving letters from consul
tuents, saying that unless they take
their stand with the temperance forces
they will be punished in the coming
campaign. Members of the House OF
REPRESENTATIVES who are candidates for
reelection are particular sollcllous
about the outlook. Without being told
by their constituents, they know some
thing of the temperance wave that Is
sweeping over the country, and they 90
not want to be caught on the wrong
side. Senators" who are up for re-elec-
ton have received warnings that mem
bers of State Legislatures are to be
chosen this year with special reference
to the liquor traffic, and that II they eX-
pect re election they must take care not
to stand with the unpopular side III this
battle.
Careful observers of the movements
of public opinion are predicting thaC
more public men will go up or down on
the temperance question next fall imam
on any other one question that Will
enter into the campaign. 1t Will not
surprise these observers If the question
becomes national in its aspect during
the coming campaign. Whether II snail
pass from State to a national issue de-
bends on the action of Congress at this
session. it is asserted. The temperance
forces led by the Anti-Saloon League,
are ready to make it national issue II
that shall become necessary. The SIT
uation is this: The movement for strict
er temperance laws is making Roadway
everywhere. In some States 1t is tax
ing the form of prohibition; IN others IL
is for local option, high license, or
eliminating by remonstrance. The
dry territory is being Wldened IN
scope month by month. The larger the
dry area becomes the more apparent
stands out the fact that the States can
not meet with a full measure OF success
SO long as the Federal Government
utilities the work of the States. Under
existing Federal law no State can create
absolutely dry territory, because
liquor may be shipped into this territory
from another State with impunlty. 1t
is also impossible to make State or
any portion of State dry as long as
the Federal Government will issue a
permit to a person to sell intOxlcants IN
the territory which local authority says
shall be dry,
&c SpTpIApranpp
are asking that these two conditions
be remedied They do not expect to
get both evils cured ii this session of
Congress. They DO insist that legls-
lation shall be enacted at this session
which will give State some measure
of control over interstate shipments OF
hQuor. If they succeed in this under
taking they will push for legislation
which will stop the Government from
legalizing the sale of liquor in dry
territory, The fight over legislation
under which Interstate shipments OF
intoxicants could be controlled has not
received the attention it deserves. The
disposition has been to ignore it be-
cause the question has been before
every session OF Congress for the last
ten years. The liquor interests always
succeeded i'll blocking the legislation in
committee, and almost everybody sup
posed they would succeed this year
But the unthlnking failed to reckon
with the new brand of public senti-
ment on the liquor question. The rep
resentatiyes of the liquor interests
were here as usual when the contest
came on before the committees OF the
two houses this year. and SO were the
legislative agents of the National Anti
Saloon League, Il bright, energetic lot
OF men who know something about
politics. The usual hearings were held.
The IIo Sc committee on the Judiciary,
after it had heard both sides, chucked
the bin into a pigeonhOle. That was
what 1t had always done before. A
sub committee of the senate Commit
tee on the Judiciary, which took the
bill, held that no constitutional law on
the subject could be enacted
i was at that stage of the proceed
ingS that the National Anti-Saloon
League appeared. ''All right gentle
men" said the legislative agents of the
League. 1--WE will make it an issue in
the national campaign; we VIII make it
an issue i'll every congressional district,
and we will make it an issue in every
Legislature that has to elect United
States senator next January
The sort of talk made the Republican,
leaders prick up their ears. On inquiry
they learned that the Democratic lead
ers were talking of the wisdom of put
ting in their national platforms plank
favoring all the national legislation de
manded by the temperance forces of the
country. The story went around that
BRYAN wanted this done; that he was
anxious above all else to go before the
country next fall on temperance plat
form The agents of the Anti-Salool
League did more. They Quilt fires
in large number of congressional dis.
tricts in which they knew the temper
ance sentiment was running wild. 1t
was not long until members of the
House began to receive communica.
tionS from the folks at home asking
about the situation. Some of the let
tiers ran like this: at can't be possible
that a Republican Congress will stand
out against the reasonable legislation
asked by the temperance forces of the
country. You should know that the
sentiment of this district is such that
its member would be defeated for reel
ection if it should be shown that he OPP
posed this temperance legislation"
Within the last two weeks most of the
Republican senators and representa-
tives have been hearing from the folks
at hOmp''-the folks who are dpanIv in