Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-06-08
SOME POLITICIANS TRY TO DUCK
But When q Moral Question 10 On,
posed by Selfish Interests u
Becomes a Political Issue n
at Once. "a
BY J. EMORY STREET..

any kind.
Others have said it is purely NOR
When heard these things ] could
not refrain from saying:
"Who makes the issues?"
Perhaps | am wrong, but have long
entertained the opinion that the peo-
pie make the issues and that the poll
ticians talk about them.
This much we all know:
No issue can be successful unless
the people are for IL.
No issue can interest the people un-
less there Ii something to it.
So l have dismissed the politicians
statement that II is not an issue, be-
cause realize that the people and not
the politicians will decide whether 1t
10 an issue ~
The statement that county option is
purely a moral issue may befog some
politicians who never associate pol
itics With anything moral or involv-
ing morals. 1t cannot long fool many
who think.
Every question that has to do with
government is political question.
Every question in which the govern.
ment is to take hand 10 a political
question.
d Every political question which at
any time rises to the dignity OF an is,
sue is essentially moral question.
Every political discussion before It
is ended, no matter what may be
the subject eventually divides ON
q keen, clearcut question of right and
wrong.
When It has been easy to separate
The right from the wrong. the question
has been speedily settled.
When 1t has been diffcuIt 10 tell
the right from the wrong, the final
settlement has to wait for more light.
Some times the settlement has
had to wait for men who could
see things more clearly than 9th,
ers what was right. and point It out to
his fellows. But there never was a
political issue which was not a moral
one-whether 1t be tariff revision or
railroad regulation, The entire tnsur.
gent movement is nothing else than
On aroused public conscience.
A mere question of expediency can
never be an issue.
A mere question OF justice becomes
an issue at once If someone opposes il.
So we see that county option, while
being moral issue. is also a political
issue, because it has to do with gov.
eminent.
And as IL involves a question OF jus.
tive, 1t has become >ltical issue be-
cause Of the opposition of the brewers.
There is tendency. inherent in the
people toward better things. This ten
dency is the handspring of civilization.
1t grows constantly. Every day 1t
manifests itself in some new phase
and shows its relation to some new
incident IN the life of the race This
IS the grow ia of moral sentiment.
IL you want real live issue, lust
try to throttle the growth OF moral sen.
timent At once you will arouse the
blood of every man who knows what
you are about.
Along with the growth OF moral sen.
timent has come n demand for a more
strict regulation of the saloon as a
public drinking place. This demand
for regulation has passed through
many stages. and after many expert.
ments with other methods the advo-
Gates of more strict regulation have
conciSded that tho fairest proposition
would be TO submit the question OF Il.
cense to a vote of the people in each
county where the question is raised.
This phase of regulation is called
county option,
County option is an issue, because
the brewers have tried to throttle the
growth of moral sentiment. The brew.
ers went out TO control the legislature
and to make or dictate the laws gov.
ernoring the LIQUOR traffic. This 40.
tion Of the brewers has forced iris is.
sue into the campaign. Il was the
brewers opposition which aroused the
fighting blood of the advocates OF coun.
~ option.
! County optionjsts have merely asked
for chance TO vote by counties on
the question CT license
The brewers do not want to permit
chance TO vote.
| That is the issue. A chance TO vote.
II Is an issue-a moral issue, and a
red hot political issue because il Is q
moral question which Is opposed be-
selfish interests.
Comfy option is phase OF regula
, ton of the liquor trifie.
The brewers say they want regula
tion. but they fail to regulate
But why should this question OF reg
ulation be LETT to the brewers? Di,
the people leave the regulation OF III,
railroads TO the railroads? No. the.
did not: and when the railroads trie,
to FIX the rates aud influence the elee
tion OF legislatures that would do thei
bidding and not the bidding Of the pee
pie, the people drove the railroads an,
| their agents out Of the capitol
Get out Of politics" was the wa
cry and that evidently Is 10 be III