The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-08-22
The Prohibition Wave an In
usual Issue
IN THIS FALLS CAMPAIGN
Party Managers Watch the Maine FL
ections to Judge Mind of Voters
Which May Show Trend Of
Country.

Washington Aug. 2e.--Party man
ayers. state and national, say the pro.
hibition issue is something 20 take
note Of this campaign year. The Maine
election in mid September promises to
give them cue as 90 the condition
Of the public mind thereon. Possibly
the Republican majority in the Unions
northeast corner will be quite as sig
nifcent in that particular as in any
indication of how the country is going
TO vote in November
For the prohibition question, in one
form or another. has been injected IN
to the politics Of several states, some
of which are essential 10 a rousing Re-
publican victory at the polls. The In
diana Republicans have ehampioned
county prohibition as an advance over
local option. Erhe Germans are in OPP
on revolt, and opinion is divided as TO
whether the party will suffer heavily
on that account The farmer vote of
Hoosierdom is said to be a bulwark for
the cause OF wider prohibition, just as
it always has been in Maine There
is similar revolt in Ohio, where the
cities generally resent the enactment of
Temperance laws which threaten the
present Republican state ticket. But
in Ohio II is a question again whether
the rural regions viii not make up
much of the coting loss in the cities.
The radical prohibition wave that has
been sweeping the South has washed
over into the middle west. Now II IS
claimed that that radical prohibition
sentiment in the South is plainly re-
eeding. In that section it grew largely
cut Of desire 10 keep intoxieants
away from the negroes. who, under the
influence OF vile liquors. were more
prone TO crime against the whites. The
primaries Of the last few months seem
10 indicate that the people are less en-
thusiastic about restricting sales. Gov
Hoke Smith was overwhelmingly de-
featcd for denomination, although he
mad been a very ardent prohibition al
socate. Undoubtedly there were other
causes contributed to his defeat.
In Tennessee there was pretty
square lineup between the radical and
tic conservative prohibition forces
Coy. Patterson, in seeking denomination
ehampioned the present local option
laws. Ex-senator L. w. Carmaek, a
very popular Tennesseean, sought ~
bernatorial nomination, pleading for
statewide prohibition. He was beaten
and Patterson secured denomination
Tennessee WIS supposed to be one Of
the most ardent prohibition states OF
the South.
The Louisiana primaries recently in
dicated that the voters OF that state
are not enamored of sweeping prohibit
ton laws. The candidates nominated
for state offices were generally those
Democrats who had taken less advano-
cd ground on prohibition questions
One strong argument against the sale
Of liquors in Louisiana has been that
negro laborers are more capable when
they cannot get strong drinks.
The growth of prohibition in the
South was duly noted by the opponents
Of resubmission in Maine and, incident.
ally, gave cheer to the Republican poll
ticians of the Pine Tree state, who six
months ago were in the doldrums over
the party's September prospects with
TIE state ticket. n the Democrats in
Maine are anything like as strong at
The polls this year as they were two
years ago, when Gov Cobb was re.elec.
ted by remarkably small majority.
tie result will comfort the Democrats
in the middle Westmaterially.
There is peculiar situation how
ever, within the Democratic party on
this prohibition issue, as it pertains to
state and national politics this year,
The middle western Democrats will
presumably benefit from the revolt Of
personal liberty advocates against
stringent prohibition enactments If
shev elect any of their state tickets
in Indiana and Ohio, it will probably
be due to this fact. But Mr.. Bryan,
their candidate for president, is widely
known as teetotaler, as is his run
ming mate, Mr.. Kern,
When the Methodist conference was
in session at Baltimore last spring it
passed resolution that no one but a
teetotaler should be elected president
Of the United States. 1t was whispered
at that time that the resolution was in
tended to snow spirit of friendship
for the Nebraskan. And only the 9th
er day the prohibitionist candidate for
president, Eugene w. Chain, called at
Fairview and was exceedingly chummy
with Mr.. Bryan.