Year: 1874

reconstruction of the State governments
IN the South upon the principles of lib
erty and equal rights to all, the Republi-
can party is proud to take the response
bility.


THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION.


The eigth section of the Democratic
platform demands the repeal of the Bax-
ter bill and the enactment of such IL
cense law as shall protect society and
produce large increase of the school
| fund" 1t is notorious that the motives
of the convention for favoring license
law were not the protection of society
and the increase of the school fund, but
to secure the votes and influence of those
who favor the traffic in intoxicating
liquors.


The Republican convention proposed
to refer the question of the sale of intoX-
icating liquors to the decision of each
local community or neig eighborhood, and to
let the majority determine whether such
sales should be permitted or prohibited
therein. The failure of laws to promote
the cause of temperance can generally be
traced to the absence of public opinion
in the particular locality having sufficient
strength to enforce them. Laws of this
character can only be sustained and ex-
ecuted by strong public opinion in their
favor. Under the plan proposed OF
leaving the decision of this question to
each locality or neighborhood the exist
ence of such an opinion will be deter
mined in advance by vote of the people.
If the majority of the people in a partic-
ular locality believe in the traffic in in
toxicating liquors. they can have it under
license. regulations. If in another COM
munity the majority are opposed to such
traf hali hoo hu
and in every way injurious, should not
their wishes prevail? Is not this solution
of the question in harmony with Repub-
lican principles and the right of local
self-government2 If in a given COM
munity majority of the people are op-
posed to the traffic, should they have
it forced upon them by perhaps a very
small minorityl And if, on the other
hand, in another community majority
of the people are in favor of the traffic,
should they be prevented from having it
in their midst by like minority


The pretense in the Democratic plat
form that this traffic should be forced
into community against the wishes of
a majority of the people "for the protee-
ton of society and the increase of the
school fund, is utterly preposterous, and
will deceive nobody. Those who favor
the traffic in intoxicating liquors are will
ing to accept a license law, and it was
to please them, and not to enlarge the
school fund that the convention declared
in favor of it.


A large portion Of the people in every
State believe that the traffic in intoxicat-
ing liquors is injurious to public morals,
and destroys the health, happiness and
prosperity of multitudes every year, and
should therefore be prohibited. Another
portion are opposed to prohibitary laws
upon various grounds; some for the rea-
son that they cannot be enforced, and
do not diminish intemperance; others
allege that such laws are an invasion of
private rights; and others again for the
reason that certain liquors classed as in
toxicating are not so but are healthful,
and the use of them not injurious to pub
lie morals and good order. The power
TO decide these various questions un-
doubtedly belongs to the people of the
State in their sovereign legislative ca
pacity. Any general law prohibiting or
regulating the traffic in Intoxicating
liquors would be offensive in some locali-
tiles and acceptable in others; and for
these reasons would be executed in some
and not in others. What is fairer, and
what better can be done, than to refer
the decision of this question under the
law to each particular locality2