West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-03-22
WESTVIRGINIAFREEM
CORRESPONDENCE.
Prominent Points i'm Prohibition
Policy.

BY legislation, and that promises,
Or seems to promise, a remedy for
grievous public evils and an adj
vancement OF pu 90 - = IS, Will,
sooner or later, find advocates and a
party to champion it. Suppression
of the liquor traffic is measure
within the legitimate scope of leg
islation, andi it promises relief from
some of the most grievous evils that
affiict our country and an immense
enhancement of public prosperity
and well being. It's advocates are
increasing in number every day,
and a party is fast forming pledged
to support this cause till it is sue
cessful. This proposition, which is
unquestionably true, may serve as
a warning to the opponents of pro
hibit:on, and as ground of encour-
agement to its friends.
A POLICY FINDS A PARTY.
Further, any measure, such as
that lust mentioned, which will
bear public discussion and the most
rigid scrutiny without detriment to
its claims, which commends Itself
to the favor of all thoughtful, phi
lanthropic, patriotic citizens who
examine it and understand it, and
whose propriety, efficiency,practica-
bility and indispensableness appear
more and more clearly as the mat
ter is ventilated and investigated,
not only finds a party to champion
it, but inevitably succeeds in hav-
ing itself established as part Of
public policy sustained by legisla-
tive enactments and statutory pro
lection. Political history will es-
tablish the truth Of this proposition.
Prohibition is, in all respects, just
such a measure, and it is moving
on to victory in about the usual
way, and with as much CELEBRITY as
great public measures that are to be
permanent ever move. L invite at
tention to this as a matter of en-
couragement to the friends Of pro-
hibition, and as being capable of
administering some wholesome in
etructiOn to its opponents.
THE PARTY OF THE FUTURE MUST BE
A PROHIBITION PARTY.
Once more, the party that means
to secure or keep political DONNA
ton in West Virginia, and in all
the other States, as to that,-must
be, so far as the liquor question is
concerned, an out-and-out Prohibi-
ton party. Whatever else may find
a place in its creed or constitute an
element of its policy, it must be
pledged to prohibition, if it will
have the support needed to keep it
in power. The present political
parties Of the State Will have to adj
dress themselves to matters Of great
er importance than maneuvering
for possession of the public crib and
striving to keep up their organiza-
tions for service in national party
contests, and will have to pay a due
amount of attention to giving the
people that deliverance from the I'M
endurable curse of the legalized IL
quor traffic, that they are crying so
loudly for, or step down and out,
and give the reins up to party
that loU care for the most vital in
terests of the State.
Now, the foregoing utterances do
not strike me as being exactly orac-
ular, but they do seem to me to be
pretty well supported by fact and
common sense. They are intended
to serve as a sort Of preface to what
[ set out to write about more par
ticularly.
TO CONVERT OR CREATE-WHICH?
To convert some one or all Of the
present parties Of the State to Pro
hibition, or to organize from the
stump Prohibition party, is the
work lying Immediately before
those who have set out to put down
the liquor traffic in West Virginia.
And this work calls for careful
outstanding Of our resources and for
discreet management | firmly be
lieve that the Prohibition tide, now
rising all over the land, will ulti-
mately sweep'away the liquor traf-
fc from our own as well as from
other States. But such a convic-
ton. however firmly held by Prohi-
bitionists, should induce no care
yos-,,ce.-. ~. Golav NIra want IN faci1-