Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-10-30

Union. Her advice will be given
the weight to which her successful
work for years in the temperance
cause entities it. She says:
1t is my sincere conviction,
strengthened by personal knowl-
edge of the work the country over,
that the overthrow Of the liquor
traffic will be soonest accomplished
by our organizations Withholding
party effort and giving themselves
wholly to the regular Zines of tenn
perance work which have been de-
veloped by Gods providence during
the ten years since the crusade.
deprecate greatly the seeming at.
tempt upon the part of some Of our
women to ally the Woman's Chris
tian's Temperance Union with the
National Prohibition party. | be-
lieve the larger part Of our member
ship and of our best advisers deplore
what they consider an unwarranted
and untenable position.
Having been chosen by the Nation
al union superintendent of the de-
partment of legislative work and pc
titions, must keep myself free from
partisanship As an individual |
cannot and do not smother my con
victions. Either James G. Blaine
OF Gov. Cleveland will be president
OF these United States; as between
them do not see how any Christian
voter can hesitate. Writing as | do
from this city of Buffalo, where
CIeveland's home is-no, where he
lives-he has no home-I do not
hesitate to say, as for me and mine,
let it he the true husband, the hon
est father, the home man-James G..
Blaine.
Further than this, do not believe
the demand for national constitution
al prohibition is the chest endorse
ment Of prohibition principles"
The prohibition of the liquor traffic
is not, by either the spirit or the let
ter of the constitution, the subject
of national legislation. 1t must
come by states; it can come in no
other way, unless by an armed re-
sistance to law in the states it should
become necessary for the general
government as a war measure to aid
the states by military Intervention.
Peaceable revolution according to
constitutional methods must come
by state legislation So also just as
prohibition cannot be carried in a
state till a considerable number of
voters in the state are themselves
prohibitionists, so national prohibit
ton cannot be practical issue until
a considerable number of states are
prohibition states. When three
quarters of the states agree, the Con-
stitution of the United States may
be amended and national prohibition
be rule of the land. 1t is some
times argued that the Thirteenth
Amendment abolishing slavery in
| the states, was submitted by Con-
gress before the states had taken
similar action, but we remember that
at this time there was 50 large ma
iority of free states that they con-
trolled the government, and carried
on great and terrible war. The
question of slavery on its political
side was n controversy between
states, concerning which the gener-
al government and a national legis-
lation was the only court of appeal.
The prohibition of the liquor traffic
is not question between states, but
between the people of state, and
national political action is not at
this time the proper court in which
to try this cause
| have taught this doctrine from
ocean to ocean; could | now fail to
stand for the application of the
truths | have taught? This is why
| could not, if | were voter, enter
the political field for the nominees
of the Pittsburg convention.
Yours sincerely,
J. ELLEN FOSTER.
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A n L.