Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-10-08
A SOLID REFUSAL.

a. Sheridan JOnes Declines tn Aid the
Cause Of Ordwsyism by Joining In the
Prohibition Movement Against the Con-
stitutton
That portion Of the prohibition ele.
ment OF Dakota which has designs
against the constitution because it does
not contain prohibition clause. appoint.
ed A. Sheridan Jones, Of Olivet, chair.
man Of the Hutchinson county anti-con.
stitution, pro- Ordway committee. As will
be seen by the following letter in the
Olivet Record, Mr.. Jones, who is prom
inent and consistent prohibitionist, de-
clines to serve:
Ollyet. d. T. Oct. 4, lSS3-Messrs Corn.
wall, Denton and Reed, Huron, Dakota.
Gentlemen: Yours Of Sunday last, Sep
tenn Der Goth, appointing me Chairman
OF the county committee of Hutchinson
county" with instructions, came to
band this morning; and owing to short
ness OF time allowed me in which to act,
the extraordinary assumption OF powers
on your part and the object really had
IN view, made transparent by the course
OF eyents and by your acts; and, since
the matter is especially Of public na-
turs, [ shall answer by an open letter.
When and where did the prohibitions
lists OF Dakota make you their executive
committee; ard, what part had Hutchin-
SOD county, or, what part were the peo-
pie OF this county invited to take, in the
creation Of the committee?
II this is really movement in the
interest OF law and order-if it is purely
and solely in behalf of Temperance and
religious reform, why is it inaugurated
at this particular time; why this indecent
haste allowing in this large territory but
about twelve days for your appointments
to reach the appointees, for the county
conventions to be called and held, and
for the delegates elected to reach the
territorial(?) p convention at Huron Does
Providence grant no longer time than
twelve days to movement of such pre-
tended importance? Indeed, Why stamp
your movement in the outset with dis.
honor and shame by holding your execu-
tive meeting upon the Lords day, and
upon that day issue your commissions to
the chalrmen of the county committees
The simple fact is that the prohibi-
tionists of Dakota, as an organization,
are not engaged in the movement you
pretend to inaugurate, and its origin is
fixed in the iniquitous scheme headed
by few political spectators to oppose
and retard division and statehood and to
defeat, ifpossible, the constitution which
the people through their representatives
framed at the Sioux Falls convention.
You have called, ostensibly. q prohibi.
tion convention, the true intent of which
is to organize political party in opposi-
tion to the statehood movement, and you
know that if you were to openly an.
nounce your intentions the people
would not honor you at Huron with q
corporal's guard to defend you and your
cause; especially since you hide youl
movement under the cloak of temper.
ance and appropriate the Lold's day
upon which to set the wheels Of your
cause in motion. thus stealing the liv
cry of heaven to serve the devil with"
That excellent poet, Young, ono.
wrote:
"A man of sense can artifce disdAin,
As men of wealth may venture to 60 plAir
find the fool when behold the screen.
For tbs the wise mans interest to be seen.
rendering to you my acknowledgment
for this bold attempt to make tool o
me, and expressing only pity for You il
the very unwise and shallow view yol
take of the necessities of the hour, l re
spectfully decline to accept the appoint
ment of chairman Of Hutchinson county
A. SHERIDAN JONES.