Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-10-27
The P~rehibitseA Party

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The Prehibitio,s Party
The Prohibition Home Protection
party of South Dakota in Territorial
convention assembled adopted the 4 fol
towing ,ss,9
PLATFORM.
/. Wedeclare our allegiance to the
pure principles, high aims and noble
Incentives which actuateg the found
ers Of this republic, and moved to de-
cided action the men who constituted
the anti-slayerysp artyin its inception
and carriedEit forward to ultimate sue
cess.
2. We believe the welfare and fl-
ture prosperity Of. this people demands
fhe building up Of a new party with a
principle as its foundation to meet the
exigences Of the present. n
8. We believe the liquor traffic to be
the great standing menace Of our free
institutions, the destroyer of the home
and the chief cause Of crime. We be-
iieve the republican and democratic
parties stand as q wall Of defense To-
She liquor crime. Therefore, peliev-
ing in the eternal principles of right,
liberty Of conscience, and relying upon
the guidance Of an oYer-rlling power,
we boldly declare our allegiance to the
prohibition party, and our devotion to
the great underlying principles upon
which the party is founded, realizing
that the mission Of the prohibition par
tyis to carry forward the great politi-
.calreforms Of the present until they
are fully attained, made ecu and
practically applied throughout the ma
tion.
4. That we deplore the sympathy Of
the dominant parties with the 1iquorin-
terests in the past.
s. That it il neither right nor poll
tic for the State or nation to give legal
sanction or protection to any business,
trade or traffic, system, custom. or habt-s
It that tends to disturb the peace; men,
ace government; corrupt social habits;
waste national resources; destroy
health, happiness or life; increase sor-
row, shame and crime, OF retard the
progress of true civilization. Il
That the entire trafhcin Intoxicating
liquors, as common beverages, is inim-
ical to the true interestsof the individ-
ual and destructive Of the order and
welfare Of society, and it ought. there
fore, to be made a criminal offense to
manufacture sci, or in any way dis
pose d, or Import, or5export the same
and that il should be illegally prohibited
by adequate laws and penalties.
That the history Of past legislation
e~ndeayoring to regulate the traffic,
abundantly proves that it is impossible
to satisfactorily limit or control sys-
TEN SO essentially irregular and mis-
chievous in its nature and tendencies.
That no considerations Of private
gain or public revenue can Justify the
neutrality-suspicious. of q system 50
utterly wrong id principle. suicidal in
policy, and disastrous in results as is
the liquor traffic.
That the constitutional and legisla-
tive prohibition Of the traffic is per-
fectly$ ewithyrational liberty
and with all the claims Of justice and
legitimate commerce, and that such
suppression Of the liquor crime would
be highly conducive to the develop
ment and growth of progressive and
enlightened civilization.
That all loyal citizens should, and we
as a party will, labor boldly and per
~sistently in all jjudicious and Honorable
ways for the election and support of
men who will gladly enact and execute
such prohibition laws, and 9 thu, up
building Of a High public sentiment
that win render it impossible. o. at
least not expedlent,f for officers to foul
~ betray the people or ~refusestc enter
tain their demands.
6, That much time and moneyisun-
necessarily wasted by thepresent mode
of electing president, Mce-president
and United States senators without the
gain Of any comnpensating advantages;
therefore, we declare for their election
bya direct vote, believing that the
election of officers by The people,. sofar
a. convenient and practicable is based
upon true governmental principles,
Z. We believe that the proper adj
ministration Of Justice demands that
u courts shall be placed beyond the
pale of politics and that the judges
shall hold their Offices for life OF dur
ing good behavior.