West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1884-08-20
BAD POLICY.
As a Republican Views 1t.

Under the head of "Bad Policy"
the Keyser Echo has this vigorous
editorial:
We are sorry to say it, and say it
with no feeling of sorrow, but, to
our apprehension, the Republican
State Convention committed a stu
pendous blunder when it refused
to endorse the submission to the
people of asprohibitory corstitu-
tional amendment. The Republi-
can party has hitherto been sue
cessful because it has kept close to
to the mind and heart of the peo-
pie, and has trusted them. Its &C.
ton at that Convention is a public
avowal that on that subject, at
least, it trusts no longer. The ac-
ton of the Convention amounts to
an avowal that, even if constitu-
tional majority of the people desire
to put prohibition into their con-
stitution, they shall not be allowed
to exercise the right. We say right
advisedly. 1t is the right of the
people in a republic to say what
shall be the character, in all re-
spects, of the constitution under
which they are to live The Con.
vention publishes to the world that
it will lat the behest of the brewers,
distiilers and saloon keepers, de-
fraud the people of their rights,
The action of the Convention on
this point was foolish in the ex-
treme. The action asked for was
not an endorsement of prohibition
at all. Under existing circumstan-
ces some good temperance men
might honestly doubt the policy of
giving such an endorsement. They
were not asked to do it. We think
that would have been the highest
political wisdom, the shrewdest
policy. But this the advocates of
prohibition did not ask. They
simply asked that the people might
have al opportunity to express
their will. The convention in the
name of the Republican party re.
fuses, The issue cannot long be
deferred. The people auiU be
heard. In free country like ours
the political party which takes
such position invites destruction
and that destruction will not be
long delayed. AS we SAID last
week, we do not think the time
ripe for prohibition presidential
ticket. But unless the Republi.
can party sees and seizes it's oppor-
tunity, the time will soon come
when true men and women will be
forced to unite in a fight to the
death against the traffic which is
the curse and bane of modern So
ciety.
If the Republican party, the
child of noble moral purpose shall
prove recreant to its high trust, it's
doom is sealed. The party which
adopts the principle of prohibition
and stands firmly by it may suffer
temporary defeat, but it will be
only temporary.
Truth crushed to earth shall rise again.
The eternal years of God are hers.
While error, wounded, writhes in pain.
And dies amid her worshipers."
He always wins who sides with God,
To him no chance is lost"
We have loved the Republican
party from it's birth. We have
stood by it through "evil report
and good report But it has been
because we thought it the best in
strumentality for doing good. If it
shall sell itself to the rum power,
the arch enemy of God and man,
we are as ready to turn our guns
upon it as we have been to use
them in its defense. We fight for
right and not for party. We hon
or the gallant leader, a true leader,
though not a "boss," who so man
fully declared in that convention,
that he would be loyal to his con-
victions at whatever cost of polit-
ical standing or influence. He