The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-12-02
A BIT OF HISTORY.

w ~ h'eSucc thS
wisdom or the efficacy of the threats
and abuse of the one great party or
the jests and sneers of the other great
party as now being applied TO the
prohibiiionists the BAzoo feels i'm
PEELED to say that if the oft repeated
apiom "history repeat ITSELF has
any foundation in truth 1t would be
well for those who are only anxious
to keep themselves on top the top
most wave of the political sea to care
fully note the following bit of hisiori.
Cal coincident which We furnish free
and with out comment and then make
their own deductions. In 1910. The
"abotition party" as it was termed
after series of vain attempts to have
its sentiments recognized by either
the WING or democratic party, then
the dominant parties, determined to
break away from them and organize
for itself. A convention was called
and James g. Birney placed in
nomination for the presidency in
the election which followed he receiv-
ed but 1859 votes a number so small
as to have no effect whatever on the
general result Harrison the whig can
didate carrying nineteen of the states.
Of course the abolitionists became the
butt and jeer of everybody. Notwith-
standing this they went courageously
on working for the object they had in
view, the abolition OF slavery. In
1914. James. G. Birney was again
placed in nomination and this time
poIIed vote .of 62 800. At this time
Henry Clay was regarded on all sides
as the leading statesman of the nation,
just as James O. Blaine is regarded
to-day. After failing several times
in bis efforts to be made president, as
Blaine did, he finally became the can
didale Of the wings il 1914, just forty
years before B aine finally became the
candidate of the republicans. When
Clay was nominated bis party was
the dominant party, just as the re-
publican party was the dominant
party when Blaine became the can
didate. Forty years ago the wings
despised the anti-slavery vote, just as
the republicans this year despised the
prohibition vote, and in both instances
the despised party made itself appre-
ciated and recognized. In 1874 New
York was the deciding state, the same
as it was in the contest just closed.
Forty years ago Birney received 15,-
S12 votes IN New York, thus allow
ing Polk TO carry the state by a
plurality of 5, Jos, when both candi-
dates needed the vote of that one
state in order to succeed. This year, |
St. John took the place of Birney,
with the same result. Forty years
ago, therefore, the anti-slavery party |
defeated the dominant party, and the
country passed under the control of
the democrats, just as it has again
done this year. Up to this time,
therefore, the history of the anti
slavery party and the anti-Iiquor
party is similar. But to carry the
analogy still further; the Z ,059 votes
cast for Birney in 1910 increased to
loo, l49 in 1851. The prohibition
vote this year is forty per cent.
greater than the anti-slavery vote was
in 1852, and it is therefore safe to
say that the Prohibition vote in 1888 |
will be forty per cent greater than
the vote cast for Fremont in lS56
which was 1 ,341,264. The prohibi-
ton vote in 1888, therefore, will ap-
proximate two millions at the yery
least. while if it increases duringsthe
next four years in the same ratio as
during the past four yesrs it will be
over four millions, or more than
enough to elect president.