Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1908 — The Real Temperance Situation. [ARTICLE]

The Real Temperance Situation.

Two-thirds of the republicans in Jasper county are in favor of advanced temperance. ig - ; Two-thirds of the democrats in Jasper county are in favor of advanced temperance. The state conventions of both parties were enthusiastic for legislation that would lead to the elimination of the saloon from the state. The democratic convention met first and declared for a plan of voting on the saloon question in the townships and city wards.- The. repuhUcaus, .saon after, adopted a plan for voting by counties on the saloon question. It is difficult to tell just when the brewers and saloon interests first took a hand in the affair. They did not care whether they cast their lot with the democrats or with the republicans. They proposed to uee>mine wh re they were hit the worst find then line up with the other fellows. They figured from the experience at other places that the adoption of a county option law meant the closing of vastly many more saloons than did the township and ward proposition, and they had the working example of i other places to justify their belief. | Then tlib brewers got busy to prevent the passage of county local option. With them it was a question of “two plans to defeat the saloons, let us choose the one that will be the least injurious to our business.” * Ahd the anti-saloon league and the civic organizations andl the minis ers and other temperance forces got busy also. With them it was a question of ‘two plans to defeat the saloons, let us choose the one that is most effective.” The brewers, for business sake, went democratic. The temperance interests, for temperance results, went republican. The democrats of Jasper county were not\o blame. They abhor the brewers as heartily as do the republicans-. The republicans of Jasper coun y deserve no ciedit for having secured the county option piank, more than the fact that the delegates to the sta e fifty«««4- 1 U rtl tvEEfl «<Edri. nr»A«> (1* wuYCiiuuu liciycti w ytioo ttyuii H. But both interests got busy. The democratic party did not go to the brewers; the brewers went to the democratic party. The republican party did not turn itself over to the anti-saloon league; the league and its co-sympathizers lined up for the county option plan because they realized that it meant the destruction of hundreds of saloons.

j Governor Hanly called a special 6*B- - sion of the legislature and the coun y option bill was the chief mat er of consideration. The lines on which it were fought were plainly distlngu.shr able. The breweries did not so much line up with the democrats as they did against the passage of the county option bill. The anti-saloon league and the ministers did not so much line up with the republicans as they did for the passage of the county option bill. Its passage was secured. And to accomplish it six democrats in the hous voted for it. It is a law. Not a republican law; 1 not a democratic law. But a law of all the people of Indiana. ; No legislature will repeal it. It means the destruction of saloons in many counties, and it will have the s. p port of democrats as heartily as of republicans. | It means that almost every county in Indiana will within the next year vote on. the proposition. For the saloon. Against the saloon. And it means that tbe temperance people of every county, without regard to politics, will vote “against the saloon.” The Jasper County Democrat sayß that republican orators and republican newspapers have called the demo erats ”breweryites”, “saloon bums”, “drunkards', etc. We have not seen it, nor heard it, nor been guilty of it The republican orators and newspapers have ardently purposed to set thinking democrats right upon the subject. And we believe that many of them are now able to see that county option is a progressive step in temperance, and that they Fill feel it their duty Just once to vote for James B. Watson and a leglslautre that will support' the county option proposition. It is 'a matter for each individual to decide, and is the greatest Usue before the people of Indiana. In Ohio within the past -two weeks, a county option law has been tested. Up to date 33 counties have voted upofi it And 31 have voted the saloons out. It being thus seen that county option Is successful, there Is every reason to expect that sincere temperance people will vote for It