West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-07-13
The Register on the Convention.
And What Others of the State
t Press Have to Say.

The State Temperance Conven-
tion adjourned Wednesday evening,
June 20. Thursday mornings
Wheeling Register contained the
following editorial:
THE TEMPERANCE CAMPAIGN.
The temperance agitation is tax
ing on peculiar form this year.
1t is becoming a somewhat inf1u-
entail factor in politics.
In North Carolina, party lines
are about obliterated, the sole issue
now being on the temperance ques-
ton. Democrats and Republicans
are about equally divided, some for
prohibition and some against it. A
vote is to be taken next Fall to rat
ify theaction of the Legislature of
last winter in passing prohibito-
ry law, and the canvass is becoming
exciting.
So also in Ohio, the temperance
element is regarded as the balance
of power in politics. Foster is
drinking with those who drink and
going dry with those whose habit it
is to go dry. The Republicans are
really more concerned about the
drift of the temperance party in
that State than any otherfeature of
their campaign.
Temperance reformers are really
becoming practical enough to make
themselves power in politics.
Even right here in our own State
they have concluded to quit beat
ing the air and get down to bust
ness. There was more of business
about the Convention which con-
Guided it's sessions in this city yes
terday, than in any temperance
convention we have seen sit in the
State. True, there were impracti-
cables among them who got in
their work as usual, on the wildcat
scheme of prohibition. But the
business element, while not antag-
onizing prohibition, propose, in a
quiet way to shape their campaign
in this State, after the fashion of
the Temperance League in New
York. They will organize, not so
much for the purpose or with the
expectation ofhaving an independ-
ent majority party Of their own, as
of holding the whip over the politi-
cal parties, compelling them to
nominate temperance men for Of
fee, and pledging the members of
the temperance organizations to
vote only with that party, irrespec-
tive of politics, which puts up tenn
perance men for candidates.
They hope to secure enough men
from out of both political parties
who will pledge themselves to act
upon this line of policy, making
politics secondary to temperance
reform, so that the temperance vote
will be able to throw the result of
any election in favor of that party
which conforms most nearly to the
aims and ideas of the temperance
organization. If they can secure
10000 unconditional pledges to
such policy, as they claim, they
will become at least a respectable
power in the politics Of the State
which will compel recognition from
party leaders and party conven-
tions.
Political parties are not governed
nowadays by principles, favorit-
ism, or preferences of any kind, so
much as by chances of victory.
When any element of society is
strong enough to offer votes which
may change the result one way or
the other, it matters not what its
principles or purposes as society
may be, it will get the politicians
down on their knees begging for
favor, and compelling unwilling
concessions of any character in ex-
change for votes. 1t Is entirely
practicable for the temperance is
sue to complicate politics in way
to.which one party is just as sus-
ceptible as another. In North Car
DINA the Democrats in the Legisla-
ture passed a law for the prohibito-
ry amendment, and the Republi-
cans are taking advantage Of the
situation to effect fusion with the
| lic,1or n taraStS fo oarry tba State