Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1908 — THE DEMOCRATIC POSITION IS THE RIGHT ONE. [ARTICLE]

THE DEMOCRATIC POSITION IS THE RIGHT ONE.

The Republican party has taken a long stride and a firm one forward this year i& declaring for county local option.—Attica Ledger. Yes, a long stride forward in favor of the saloon. "County local option” declared for so those counties where big cities are situated would always remain “wet.” This was thought to make sure republican majorities in Marion, Vanderburg, Vigo, Wayne, St. Joseph, Deleware and even Allen counties. The Democratic position—local option for “wards or townships”— would insure some “dry” territory in every county named. And no one knew this better than the makers of the republican platform.

“They (the prohibitionists) are right in saying that the Democratic party, if put in power, will work for the saloon.”

This from a republican paper supporting the party that gave birth to that howling farce, the blind tiger law, a law which will, according to Judge Hanley, allow a man to keep $ 10,000 worth or any amount of liquor in his house, to give it to his guests and to the members of his family, or household, and it is no crime, or for that

matter nobody’s business. And. this law was passed for the purpose of keeping liquors out of “dry” territory, and to aid in driving out blind pigs and unlicensed rum sellers!

“There are many temperance men in the Democratic party and they will vote the Republican ticket this fall.” Did you ever! There may be some so-called democrats that will vote the republican ticket this fall but they are not temperance democrats and have ribt affiliated with the party in the past, only when their individual or financial interests were in their opinion best served thereby.

The Democrats are not worrying about their declaration for local option in wards and townships. They are well aware of the fact that much more territory can be made "dry” by this method than can be done where the slum districts of cities are allowed to determine the results of an election where a whole county is involved; The Democratic position on this question is sound, while the republican position is on a par with their legislation on the temperance question—a false pretense, a delusion and a snare. It is also false for the Ledger to -say that the prohibitionists favor

the republican declaration on this issue and are against the democratic declaration. It is exactly the opposite, as was shown by the speeches made at the state prohibition convention last week.