Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 December 1882 — "THE LIQUOR INFLUENCE.” [ARTICLE]

"THE LIQUOR INFLUENCE.”

• J M.” a very intelligent coirtsuona • eit of the Newton County News, writts the following seaslble article for tb*a pa- i fftper: Now that the election is over, and the . result Las proved disastrous to the Re I puolican party, we are told by those who Kreist in b-iieving their party the en.dimeui O all that is virtuous and decent that .t> defeat is to be attributed to the “liquor influence.” They inskt upon it, that the Bepublibau parly favored prohibition while the Deinvcratic party opposed it. ii 10.-ing the ‘‘liquor influence” has resulted in the defeat of ibe Republic 'B party, it is fair 'o infer .bat mat iufiu ence has been heretoto.c to us success The Demotratic party, it is true, did, it has always i.as done, declare its opfH,Bition to the enactment of sumptuary aws, but it did not oppose the submission of the prohibitory amendment. Under our ioiin of government it is the right of the majority to rule when their wish is Uirly determined, whether they do so wisely or not. The strongest oppt si.on to submission known to the writer, came from the Republicans. Resolutions were introduced into the Republi-. can convention of Cook county, Illinois,* denouncing and rejecting the prohibitory aineudmen s in the most emphatic terms. These resolutions were sustained by a majority of the delegates. Where the temperance element was strong, the Republicans favored prohibibitiou, but, when confronted by the opposite class, they were opposed to it. in other words, they favored whichever view conduced most to the interest of their party. Instances are not wanting to susta u this statement. A newspaper correspondent, previous to the ele«-ti m, interviewed Col. E. Wolf, toe Republican candidate for Auditor of State. One of the questions asked Col. Wolf was—- “ Won’t the prohibiiion question hurt you?” His reply was—“No, it won’t hurt us as much as it will the Democrats. Shy should the Germans vote the Democratic ticket? — ge are not ingfavor of prohibition, and at least forty Democratic candidates for the Legislature have pledged themselves to vote the submission of the prohibitory amendment to the people.” iSo anxious was the Republican party to secure the “liquor influence,” that they did not fail to court it on all favorable occasions; bi.t their deception was so apparent, that neither the advocates of prohibition or th< s : opposed to it were deceived by their dupnciiy. The failure of the Republican Legislature of lSßu—lßßl to perfect their legis--1 tion in reference to the amendments may have been an oversight, but it seems more probable that the neglect to make the proper repord was intentional. The whole course of the Republican party in reference to prohibition was little else than to ciijole the friends jof tempeianee into the belief that, as a p xrty, they favored the me isure. Plain dealing is always rewarded with confidence, while deceit justly merits contempt, and seldom fails, as in this instance, to result in disaster. The Republicans begin to understand that sailing betwpep (Jharydis and Sc.jlia is dangerous business. J. M.