The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-09-09
Prohibition i'm Massachusetts.

The Prohlbit!onists of Massachu-
sets met in convention recently,
and nominated a State ticket, with
Wendell Phillips at the head for
Governor, and adopted the follow
ing resolutions as their platform:
ReSOIUed, 1. That The policy of
the State toward the liquor traffic
affects every political interest; that
it affects production, expenditure,
taxation, pauperism, prostitution,
the peace of the streets. the repres-
sion Of crime, the protection of per-
son and property, the interests of
labor, the purity of the ballot, and
the success, If not the existence of
Republican Government.
2. That a policy which thus af>
fects every political interest ought
to be decided by the people, and
should, by common consent, have
precedence to all other issues.
3. That we can have no hope from
a divided party +; that, representing
the two extremes of q liquor policy,
q divided party can neither decide
for license nor for prohibition /; that
it can neither pronounce for the life
nor for the death CT the dram shop
system, and that its opposing forces
reutralize each other so that it can
neither adopt any policy, nor exc
cute any laws, O make any issue
on this question.
4. That there can be no greater
peril than party competition for the
liquor vote; hat any party not open
ly opposed 10 the traffic must engage
in this composition, must court the
favor of the criminal classes, must
barter the public morals, the purity
Of the ballot, and every object of
good government, for party success
s.. That this corrupt competition
must be coexIstent with the life and
political power of tho traffic ; that
an issue against their existence, is,
therefore, the only remedy, aud that
no such issue can be made without
independent political action.
6. Therefore, that the organiza-
tion Of an independent political par.
ty Is an inevitable necessity.
z. That as a political party, we
seek a political object; that we aim
at the extinction ofthe entire dram
shop system, national and state, dis
titled and f%ermented, not because it
is criminal, but because il is danger
Gus and injurious to every interest
of the commonwealth.
8. That while we recognize the
Importance of other reforms, and
other political measures, We pur>
posoly defer making party issues
thereon /; that our first work is to
place the state IN unequivocal oppo-
sition to the dram-shOp system, and
that until that object shall be secur-
ed we will not BE- diverted there
from by other issues.
9. That believing the liquor pol
icy Of the state to be lncomparabIy
more important than other party
issues, and asking our Father in
heaven to bless our act, we now sew
er the tics that bound US to other
political parties ); that We denource
the dram. shop system as q common
school system OF vice; that we
pledge the best efforts of our lives
for It's overthrow, and that to this
end we demand of the state and ma
tion a Radical Proh;bitory policy.
10. That we appeal to working
men to 60 with US against a system
that degrades and enslaves labor
a system that largely consumes Its
earnings, and enables capital to con
troll its votes, it's hours Of service,
and its wages.
IL. That we appeal to Democrats
to go with US against a monopoly
that corrupts the ballot, that gives
Office to the highest bidder, and that
lives by robb!ng the poor of food,
fuel, clothing, and shelter.
II. That we appeal to Republl-
cans by every motive that led them
to battle agalnstslavery to go with us
against an enemy, neither less pow
erfuI nor less dangerous to the ma
ton and the race.
The convention had among its
800 delegates many strong and able
men, such as Rev. DIR. Minor, Hon.
John J. Baker, Hon. EIiphalet Trask
H. d. Cushing. Esq, J. fl. Orne,
Esq, Hon. OTIS Carey, Rev. George
+, Clarke, &c.