The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-07-18
THE VITAL ISSUE.
The Supreme Duty of All Friends of True Reform.

THE VITAL ISSUE.
The Supreme Duty of All Friends Of True Reform.
did smile and rejoice. l knew my old
friend Snyder would march up to the colors,
instead of tagging behind in the old political
camp much longer. You remember the story
of the brave corporal When the colonel Or
dered him to bring the colors back from the
enemy's breastworks, he replied 'No, colon
Ell, bring your regiment up to the colors. y
Thousands are coming up. The advance
guard will ere long become the body of the
army No man is to be blamed for hesitating,
SO long as his heart is true to the cause.
Bro. Snyder stands on the logic of, but his
conclusion is little more radical than any
yet announced by, the writer. He has been
thinking the matter over since the Republican
convention and now publicly avows his de.
termination not to let Bro. S. get ahead of
him. The Sayder plattorm is doubtless the
true one for all earnest, consistent Prohibi-
tionists. Here it is What, then is the
supreme duty of all friends of true reform
Make sure tile defeat Of the Republican momi-
nees for president and cice-president. From
this one of two results will follow Either
the party will have the fate of the Wing party
and leave an open field for a new organize
ton, or it will reconstruct on the basis of an
tagonism to the whiskey system" This is
undoubtedly sound doctrine. Of course we
shudder at the thought of the lean kline, after
a famine of twenty years, displacing or de-
vouring the fat fellows who have SO long sur
rounded the masters crib, but will they not
surfeit themselves in four or eight years so as
to be easily driven away?
Prohibitionists are driven to this position
because the Republican party utterly ignored
their claims to recognition at the late conven-
ton. The platform is largely an exhibition
of political hypocrisy. 1t sets forth that " 1t
is the first duty of good government to pro-
tect the rights and promote the interests of its
own people," Our rights are invaded by
King Alcohol more than by Queen Victoria.
We have long asked protection from the rum
traffic, which does infinitely more injury to
our people than free trade. Shame on these
men, who cry protection to our industries and
free trade in rum. These men can ''recog-
nize the Importance of sheep husbandry," in
order to pull the wool over the eyes of few
thousand voters but they cannot recognize
the importance of prohibition, forsooth the
Prohibitionists will fall into line. They de-
nounce the importation of few industrious
Chinese, but have no word of denunciation of
the rumsellers who are preying on society.
1.-The public lands are heritage of the peo-
pie of the United States and should be re-
served" ETC., but the public virtue and pros
perity of the United States are not considered
of sufficient importance to be preserved by
suppressing the rum traffic, ETC., etc.
platform laid down by the party of
moral IDEAS" without plank touching the
liquor traffic, which affects the public health
virtue and happiness more than all the other
questions touched upon, is unworthy of the
support of all consistent Prohibitionists.
Wall IL 81 of,,it of in
situations rests upon the maintenance of free
ballot an honest count and correct returns"
The man with free ballot in one hand and
whiskey bottle in the other is dangerous
citizen. They can boldly demand the Sup
preston of the system of polygamy in our
territory" for the ''saints " cannot poll as
many votes as the Gentle sinners engaged III
the liquor crime.
The nominees placed on this rickety plat
form are too acceptable to the enemies OF
prohibition to command the support OF its
friends. The day on which the platform was
adopted, VIM Mayer editor of the New York
Zeituna and German Herald, wrote: "We
know nothing of an anti-Blaine feeling among
the Germans. And with regard to the tenn
perance question, we know Blaine's liberal
IDEAS of which he gave proof at the time OF
the visit of the Steuben family to this coun-
Try. mat Germans, as sucn, Oppose Diaino
candidacy, is simply not true.
Who for moment doubts that the United
States Brewers Association are fully assured
as to their position on the question of prohi-
hibition Blaine, from Maine, is more de-
voted to protection than to prohibition. The
party of free trade being the party OF free
rum, and the party of protection being the
party of anti-prohibition, the only course left
is to declare ourselves free from old party al
liances and Independent of party dictation,
and erect the unstained banner of our noble
cause ON which is inscribed Total abstl-
nence for the individual and entire prohibi-
ton for the state"
The Prohibitionists can, and doubtless will
poll 500, 900 votes for the national ticket
which will be put in the field at Pittsburg,
July Oath. s. PARSONS.
L. nf Ia