Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 101, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1908 — NO EQUIVOCATION ON TEMPERANCE PLANK [ARTICLE]

NO EQUIVOCATION ON TEMPERANCE PLANK

James E. Watson Tells Fountain Park Audience Where He Stands on the County Option Proposition.

James E. Watson spoke to a large find attentive audience at, Fountain Park' Tuesday afternoon, and no candidate for office ever more completely unbosomed himself Jx> his hearers. While he reviewed the policies of the republican party as they have affected our national ship of state and made for every act the most eloquent and convincing argument, we shall deal with his speech only in reference to his discussion of the one thing that is the real issue in the' state campaign, namely the proposition that the two parties have made on the temperance question. While Mr. Watson spoke with great earnestness, notwithstanding the fact that he was quite hoarse, he did not warm up to his best until he entered into a discussion of the proposed temperance legislation. He reviewed the passage of the Nicholßon and Moore laws in the state of Indiana, told how they were passed by republicans and how a majority of democrats had voted against them; told how they were responsible for shutting the saloons out of 830 townships in the state of Indiana and how the brewers had become distracted at the advanced movement of temperance and how they are determined to do something to forestall the onward movement of temperance. Long before either of the party, conventions had been held in Indiana this year it was known that temperance was to play an improtant part in the making of the platforms. It was known that the republican party that had been responsible for the legislation so far secured would I ledge further advancement, and it was known that if the democratic party listened to the demand of the party supporters from the rural sections of the state that it would be forced to give favorable mention to the temperance question. Democrats have been in the habit for many years of waiting to hold their state convention until after the republicans had held theirs, and that had l«en their intention this year. Very shortly before the republican convention was to be held, however, the democrats changed their date and held their convention before the republicans, and apparently it was done in order to be the first to adopt a temperance plank, and it was done at the dictation of the breweries. It declared for the Bame unit of jurisdiction that the remonstrance law does, hut declared that it be done by vote Instead of remonstrance. This, so Mr. Watson was prepared to show by experience at other places, was certain to restore the saloon to many townships and wards, for two reasons. The main one la that the brewers can concentrate In the cities a class of people in the wards where they want Baloons that will see that .they have saloons and that will vote for them, and that in both cities and townships there are a number of people who have signed remonstrances to please their wives or for the appearance that it has before the pec-

pie who look the remonstrance over, but who would go to the booths and vote for the saloon. This is unquestionably true and the result would reinstate may saloons and at the same time have the ultimately worse effect of being a backward step in temperance and serving tq. discourage sincere workers for temperance reform. He defied any supporter of the democratic plank to show how the adoption of a township and ward option bill would serve to advance temperance Interests. But thp republican convention was really enthusiastic for advanced temperance legislation and pledged that the present remonstrance laws should be kept intact, and that in addition entire counties should have the right to vq£e on the question of the abolition of saloons. He declared that the law to establish the county optiop will not affect the present remonstrance laws, and says that when democratic orators and democratic newspapers say that a law can not be adopted establishing county option without abolishing the present remonstrance law they are either knowingly ignorant or falsifying the matter He says that no lawyer will make the claim, and supports his statement by saying that the supreme courts of both Texas and Ohio have already held that remonstrances may be circulated in townships and wards where a county has been voted wet. Mr. Watson left nothing for the sincere temperance man to do, be he democrat or republican or prohibitionist, except to aid the republican party this year in adopting a county option law. “If I am elected governor of Indiana I promise to do all in my power to have a bill passed that will adopt county option and I pledge my honor that it will be so constructed that it will not nulify the present remonstrance laws. “I further promise that if I am elected governor of Indiana .this faU I will veto any bill that is circulated to weaken the existing temperance laws, and I pledge my honor that there will be no backward movement in temperance legislation. “And if I am elected governor of Indiana this fall I pledge that I will do all in. my. power not inconsistent with my oath of office to enforce every law affecting the saloon business and the moral laws of the state of Indiana.” Mr. Watson was lustily cheered at various utterances during his address and if there was any person among hiß hearers who did not find comfort in his speech it was some one that is not in favor of advancement, one too. dense tar understand when there is an opportunity to secure it. There is nothing left for Tom Marshall tQ do but to crawl out from under the bush and admit that the brew era built the democratic temperance plank, and says, as kp honestly knows, that there is no reform in the legislation that so-called temperance plank proposes.