Democracy And Prohibition

I Detroit Free Pre$ : Investigaron bythe Chicago News has disclosed some interesting facts in regard to the prohibition movement. It effectually disprovea the assertion that the tempéranos legislation comes solely from the republioan party. Nine prohibitory laws have been adopted by republican legislaturas, aad that party has dropped ten prohibitory laws. Democratie legislaturas have adopted twelve prohibitory laws nnd dropped only four. The president' message to congresa recommending retaliation on Canada was the chicf political eensation the last week. Mr. Cleveland shows the right metal. His position is universally indorsed except by thoso republican? who would not indorso a saint from heaven if he did not subscribe to the republican creed. The rejection by the se u ate to the fisheries treaty, whioh would have solved the problom, but the president had no other recourse. His message was an able, statesmanlike, patriotio dooument,, and it sent the blood coursing through the veins of cvery true American citizen. Willard Stearns, nominatod forcongress at the Adrián convention Wedaesday has has been a lcading demoorat of tho second district for many years, aud publisher of one of the ablest demooratic papers in the state - the Adrián Press. He is at preeent postmaster of Adrián. Mr. Stears would make a stir in congress and, if eleoted, as we confidently expect will be the case, would most ably represent this district. He is a fino speaker, a ready debater, a wit and perfectly fearless. Capt. Allen has his match in Mr. Stearns. Mish Amelie Hives - as shestill writes herself, although recently marrieJ - bas had her new tragedy, entitled "Herod and Mariamne," published in tbe September Lippincott. Miss Rives is a talented woman and promises to cut not an insignificant figure in contemporaneous literature. At present, however, we are inclined to agree with the writer in Belford's, who says " she is in more need of a guardián than a publisher." " Quick, or the De ad?" was all passion and lust, and " Herod and Mariamne " is all blood, blood, blood. She needs a candid literary adviser. Let her continue writing but cease publishing for a few years. The first of September is noted for several events which will have a lasting impression on the world. It ia oiily 30 yeara ago to-morrow sinoe tbe laying of the first Atlantic cable -was completed' and although the present sur cessful cable was not laid for a number of years later (1866), II r. i'ftld's experiment was to submarino telegraphy what Morse's first line between Washington and Baltimore was to o verían d telegraphy. ' Eighteen years ago to-morrow ocourred the first defeat of the French army in the Franco-Prusian war. Sixty-two years ago the first abolition paper was started in New York. Thirty years ago to-morrow England took charge of the government of India, which had hitherto been held by the East India company. Mr. Blaine, in a speech made at Lewiston, Me., virtually admits that the Canadian fisheries treaty was rejected by the senate because it was proposed and conducted by a democratie administration. What an admission this is, to be suro ! For the same reason ,in substance, Blaine attacks the president's retaliation polioy Ex-Senator Jones hits the nail right on the hcad when he says: lt must have been obvious f rom the flrst inception of the negotiattons that thereexisted on the part of the republicana of the senate a predeterminaron not to ratlfy any treaty. however, just and fair , that might be made by this administration on the fishery question. Mr. Edmunds and his followers wanted this old running sore kept open during the campaign, not for the benefit of the fishermen or the good of the country, but as a possible casus belli with Great Britain to enable them to catch vstes during the campaign by threats of war, and to eat di.-t afterwards if they succeeded in the election, as they have alwavs done on the Irish question. The Argus having been asked to ex)rese a preference as to the candidatos jefore the coming democratie county convention, declines, on the ground that 'under existing circumstances this ia not a proper thing" for it to do. The Argus s right, but it would have been better, erhaps, i( it had omitted the words within quota tion marks. Why should a democratie paper be willing to engage ia slate-making under some circumstances and not under othere? This mference might be dra wn f rom the Argus' remarks. Che Demoorat can oonceive of no circumstances under which a democratie paper bould seek to control the action of a democratie convention further than to enjoin upon them the naming of an irroroacbable tioket. This is presumably what the Argus means. The convention, as it says, will be entirely competent to nomínate the ticket. In discussing Judge Thubman's speech at Port Hurón, an extract of which is given elsewhere in The Democrat, the Boston Globe calis upon the working people - ueitig that term in lts widest sense- to keep this self-evident truth in mind: That the protected capitalist cannot possibly gain anything from tbe operation of the tariff, except what the reet of the people lose; that a protective tax can only Kivo to some what it takes from others; it cannot alter the aggregate of wealth in a country which includes those who pay as well as those who receive. Tue Globe calis attention to the fact that while in this country the condition of politics havo driven the politicians to "make believe" that the high tariff is for tbe benefit of the workingmen, because the workingmen can vote and are in the majority, in other high-tarilï countries is there any uch prctencc. It is there never denied hat as Judge Thukmax says, " a tariff is othing in the world but a tax," and a ax which is designed to fall witb disproortionate weight upon the poor. We take great pleasure in indorsing ie remarkfl made by " Our Man About 'own," in last week's issue, relativo to ewers. That individual ia a pnvileged carácter so f ar as being granted the f uilst hberty to write about what he sees, nd present what he thinks. Sometimes we differ from him, but of tenor we don't. n the discussion of the sewer questiou, owever, he is unqualifiedly right. It is 11 very wel!, perhaps, for our citisens to o endeavor, ub they have done in the recent past, to boom the manufacturing faihties and interests of Aun Arbor, but the rst step, it seems to us, is to put the ;own in condition to bear the airs we are i ving it and merit the man y complimentry things Btrangcra say of na. It is lesa te doopise the fact- although it may be considerad as treason to avow it- that Ann Arbor is pnmarily a residonco place, made so by its natural beauties, ita university and schools, and its acoessibility to the outside world. It is a town that is espeoially attractive to people who wish to settle down for the rest of their lives. These people are many of them wealthy and not necessarily " old fogies." They like life and ityle and enterprise, and most of tliem, prior to their coming here have been naed to it all their lives. Many of them are acquainted ,with other oapitalists, and no doubt could if they tried, interest the latter in this oity. Befo re writing suoh down " old fogies " let the oouncil give them jast oause for pride in their homo and then seek to interest them beyondthat. The town has water works, electrio light, a splendid depot, excellent train service, but tbe very bed rock of private comfort and publio health is lacking. Oitizens should bestir themselves on tliis point. A system of sewage should be adopted at once, and Ann Arbor made the heallhiest,as it ia now the most elmnn ing city in Michigan or the west. After that lot tbe manufaoturing boom go on.