Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1888 — Parlies and Temperance. [ARTICLE]

Parlies and Temperance.

Philadeldhia Press; The high license law, with local option, now in successful operation in Illinois was enacted by a Republican legislature in spite of Democratic votes aud influence. The Scott law in Ohio, which afforded considerable protection against free whisky and unlimited' saloons, was enacted by a Republican legislature against the persistent opposition of the Democrats, nullified by a Democratic supreme court, and re-enacted in tfie Dow law by another Republiehn legislature, but was fought by the Democratsvto /before. In the interval the political complexion of the Supreme court was changed by the election.of another Republican judge, and the perpetuity of the first practical liquor tax law with local option Ohio has possessed dependsupon the Republican majority of that tribunal. In Pennsylvania we have seen an honest SSOO high license tax bill promised by Republican conventions, enacted by a Republican legislature, and signed by a Republican governor; against the determined, consistent, and unrelenting opposition of the Democracy, aided and abetted by the organized liquor interest,. Wisconsin enjoys a useful and moderately satisfactory high license system, secured to her by a Republican legislature in spite of the almost unanimous opposition of the Democrats. The same story is true of Minnesota, where the tax is 81,000 in the large cities antl|ssoo elsewhere; and Nebraska, where the tax is the same as in Minnesota, where high intelligence lias been crystalled into, high license by Republican legislatures against the futile protests and votes of their Democratic minorities. In Michigan and Connecticut where very successful local option and high* license bills have become laws the measures were supported almost unanimously by the Republicans, and as unanimously opposed by the Democrats.

is one page of the record. \ I The other is even more striking, i When the Crosby high license i bill was passed by the legislature of New York nearly every Hepublieen member voted for it, h;hl all but three Democratic members voted against it. The' 1 measure was vetoed by a Democratic gov- , ernor, ami the Yedder bill, which Embodies substanfial!y the same ‘ principles as the Crosby bill, is j now pending, with the party lines j drawn as they were on the' former | measure. ~~ - 1 - y; — i__ " -j—In l)e!awarc an-at-tempb-to—pttss~ J ■ a high license act was promptly j defeated by Democratic votes, and ‘ thr* advocates of teini>erance reu| ; fonirFavenotlnng To nope tor in ; that State n util high intllrgence ris- i es to control through Republican | ascendency. . ' i I here is no excuse for misnnder-! ing the attitude of the parties on the high license issue. Neither party has made any effort to con-' ceal its true position. The Rcpab- j ! licau party is, by pledge and,' per- j j formance, committed in favor of I ■ local option ami high license, while j .the Democracy is, by declaration j ayd deed, uncompromisingly opI posed to it. The line has been |sharply drawn, and it is strong, I straight and clear. The Repnhli-, can party proposes to face the issue and tqke the consequences, and it insists that the Democracy shall do the same.