The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-10-20
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: Officer Nos. rs aud VI Fourteenth street. Z
PROHIBITION,

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,onieet Nos. rs aud VI Fourteenth street.
4
PROHIBITION,
A Clergyman Says It Is Purely q State Issu,
ll5 How Prohlbiionists should Vote. Y
Snli.G Presbyterian. ss} 4ts3
5i " TIE hey. JAs. BLOWN, D. D.
The writer Is proliibitlonist. HO flrrr
ly believes that the prohibition by law {
the traffic in intoxicating drinks Is tn
duty Of tho State, and our only deliveranc
from the national curse Of lntcmpcranct
And yet he Is free to confess that he car
not vote the presidential prohibitio
ticket. He questioned at the outset tn
wisdom aud propriety, under existing eli
cumstances, Of forming n separate natlona
party and ticket. But when ablc men an
leaders In the cause determined Otherwise
no felt disposed to yield his opinion M
vote accordingly; not, however, withon
misgiying ind doubts, doubts that com
PEELED serious reflection reelection which
has brought him to tho conclusion that |
Is his duty TO vote tho Republican ticket.
The considerations which have intlll
enced him to this decision arc tho follow
| ing:
l. There is no possibility Of the election
Of u Prohibition candidate. Either Jamel
G.. Blaine or Governor Cleveland will bs
our next President. Hero there Is nj
room for doubt, The doubtful States will
determine the election. 1t Is entirely
possible that the Prohibition vote may
draw from the Republican party 80 heavily
rs to elect Cleveland und put our Govern
ment In the hands OF the Democracy
From such calamity the Lord in his in
finite mercy deliver us! II is such con
summation rs the writer will not, cdnno
help to accomplish, as he would do BY
giving his vote for st. John. 1t would be
the triumph Of tho party pledged in i,s
platform against Prohibition. sF5#.
Tho writer feels that In voting the Pro.
hibition ticket, under these circumstances
tic is voting against aud cndangering his
own cause. He cannot do that. =,
2. All Our hope for the final success OF
our cause is with the Republican party, or
with that portion Of our people that con.
stitute that party. 1t is the VeriGst injus-
tice, us it seems to the writer, to affirm that
tho platforms OF the two parties are idcnti.
cal on the subject. This is simply not
true. Tho Democratic platform, by its
plank against what it is pleased 10 call
"sumptuary laws" pledges the party OPP
position. This was done at the bequcst Of
the liquor men and 10 secure their votes.
On the other hand, tho republican plat
form is pledged neither way. 1t leaves
the matter simply m open question. q
Silence is surely q very different thing
from outspoken, insulting opposition.
Should the party pledged to the liquor
men succeed, it will be by the withdrawal
OF the Prohibition vote, four.iiiths OF
which, We may safely affirm. will be from
the Republicans. Now, il our hope for
final success is with the Republicans, how
can II prohibitionist BY his vote help to
defeat them and put back his own cause,
It may be for d generation? He cannot do
it consistently. ~
8. | approve Of the general policy OF the
Republican party. Composed Of imper-
feet men, it is not perfect. 1t has done
some things it ought not 10 have done; it
has not done Others which it should have
done. But it has made, in its twenty
three years management OF our Govern!
ment, a grand record, and from its past
record ! am willing To trust it for the
future, especially so when the choice for
me is between it and party with such a
record us the Democracy, 1t ought to be
stated, in this connection, that where the
Republican policy has been wrong it has
often been accomplished by the aid OF
Democrats, almost every opposing vote be-
ing Republican. 49,
4. There is u plank in the Prohibition
platform to which anu seriously opposed
that is the article on woman suffrage.
My vote for the candidate and the plat
form would be an approval Of that which
I honestly and earnestly believe to be
wrong, violation both OF the law OF ma
ture and revelation. This point will have
force only with those who agree with the
writer. No one opposed to tho idea of
woman suffrage can consistently vote this
platform. : -
5. Another consideration has its weight
with me. The enactment and enforcement
Of prohibitory laws belongs exclusively to
the States. 1t is a matter with which,
within their jurisdiction, the Federal
government has nothing to do. We can
bring our nation to prohibition only
through The States. Let the work 90 on as It
is, in Maine, Kansas, Iowa and other
States, and when the States are brought
into line the general government is ours,
and not til then. This admitted, the intro.
ducing Of this matter into national politics
in the present State and stage OF the ques.
ton is wholly premature, and must op.
crate rather to the injury than to the I'D.
vancement Of our cause. 49,
G. Last, but not least, is the character OF
the two leading candidates. This is very
weighty consideration, and itself sufficient
to settle the matter. Given the postulate
that either James G. Blaine or Grover
Cleveland will be President, OF which
there can he no possible doubt, then who
Of these two men, in the view of the
Christian patriot, the lover Of true virtue,
OF purity and national morality, should
be exalted to this place? Here, l think,
there is no place nor room for hesitation
One OF them proven and self.coniessed
nncbaste, liceDtious man. Tho other
oHo uEaiist llulii lO Cliul SeS VI llHmOrut-
ity have been made and sustained. His
enemies, indeed, have made charges, both
against hisPersonal and political integrity,
but they have signnlly failed in the proof.
And then as 10 their craftsmanship and
qualifications in this respect for this
high and responsible Office, there is no
comparison. Mr.. Blaine will take into
the Presidential chair u character and
ability that will do honor to the place and
to the country: Mr.. Cleveland, moral
character and official unfitness that will
dishoRor the exalted position and disgrace
our nation before the civilized world. In
view. OF all these facts the writer cannot
hesitate as to his duty. lie must do all in
his power to put the worthier man there.
His vote must be as it would be were the
selection OF one or the other OF these men
wholly in his power. /, He, cannot do, or
help to do, that which may give success
to party with such a record and such q
candidate. All his christianity, his regard
for all that is pure and good in our national
morality. his desire for the moral social