New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-25

10 follow the conclusions which in reality they
have created and If there is any political ma
humiliation in :hc case it is certain to Ec Demo-
cratic. ma,mpch rs tic Democrats are ;he only
one, ,,bo cil nave anything to @ain from t'i1
r1'iu. IF Prohibition Pre- iden;iIl c2mpaign.
From The tenor Of the sp-cc!c' which have bteh
made AT the convention a. is already evident
tina, while the mast prominent mcmhors profess
to believe that both ths cd parties lave OUT
lived their usefulness, they nevertheless pro-
pose course which can only inurc to the ben
cht II one of those old parties and moreover
tnat one FROM winch the friends Of temperance
have notoriou.ly nothing 90 expect.
Th,s. zoaou, iclprmcis clearly have not
reflected that Il thrd party movement can only
operate ~ rcbGkc 10 both the o'd parties
provided it has some prospect of b"IiinS them
both. If it has no chance Of d0ink ihls 1t can
only az; as tail cc tender to one OF the parueSj
and ia position must be- doubly irrntionl,
bocausc in such case II viii be helping 90
secure victory for a party which II successful
viii be under no binding obligations to It.
The position OF The Prombiiiouist5, however Il
even more unsatisfactory than this; for II they
make a Presidential campaign they expose
themselves to q succession of disasters. In the
first place they must practically ally themselves
with the Democratic party; that Is to say with
the party of Rum in the second place, they
will earn no Democratic gratitude by their
course, because it will be seen that they dld
not help the Democrats from incllnati0a In
the third place, they cannot hope to POI any
thing like a full Prohibition vote. because
Prohibiti0nists who are also Republicans VIII
end by refusing to help the Democrats INTO
power. In the fourth place the very methods
adopted to emphasize their discomfort with the
two great parties will result in making them
appear before the country at the end OF their
campaign so weak as to confirm politicians III
the belief that it is not necessary to defer 10 or
to concilate them.
II is difficult 10 understand how any Repub-
lean, nomatler what his zeal for temperance, can
reach the conclusion that it is worth while to
defy the sclf-eyidcnt facts upon which these
considerations are based. And there are tins
year no indications to warrant higher hopes Tor
n Prohibition ticket than the results OF former
campaigns Justify. Thus far the party has
never been able to poll much more than 10000
votes in a Presidential year, and no grounds
are stated for anticipating much larger vote
this time. But such vote is of no use what
ever. 1t does not show strength, but lament
able weakness. Or rather, as The TRIBUNE
the other day demonstrated, it shows that all
the Prohibition victories are won III oil years.
OF course the inference from this is that there
is no excuse for a Presidential campaign and
If. ~ has been limited, money should be spent
on such a campaign, it can only help the Dem
ocrats. but not the Prohibition cause. The Re
publican party ought to have these votes. In
all probability it will actually receive three
(ourths of them in any event. But the organiza-
ton of the Prohibitonists may do some harm
TO the Temperance cause by assuming the very
eauvocal attitude in which a few Democratic
politicians are trying to place it, and its mem
bcrs will do well to realize that nothing can be
gained, though much may hereafter be endan-
gcrcd, by giving their party the reputation OF
being a sort of gratuitous Democratic side
.boyV