River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-12-04
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EDITOR JoURNAL:-As Mr.. A. Cook
in the last issue of the JOURNAL
makes few comments from Repub-
lican standpoint, and as this question
at the present time is the most promi-
nent one in the public mind. allow me
to add few more comments by way
of explanation. First, wish to con-
cede all that Mr.. Cook claims in regard
to his temperance principles. and
further, / believe he is perfectly sim
cere in his utterances and honestly
believes what he says. Iwish to have
Prohibitionists credited with the
same honesty and the same sincerity,
and then this question can be discuss
ed with candor, and good may grow
out of the discussion. Mr.. Cook rep
resents very large portion of the
Republican party who agree with us
in principle. but disagree as to meth
DDS. Their love for the old Republic
can party is strong, and their fear of
Southern domination great. over
shadowing in their minds nearly every
other consideration. This may ex
plain their zeal, bet does not justify
the intolerance with which they are
disposed to treat the political convic-
tions and acts of others who differ
from them.
Mr.. Cook misapplies the point In
tended in my illustration. Prohibit
tionists do not pretend to father the
Republican party. That certainly
would be absurd. meant this: that
the castigation given in part by the
Prohibitionists to the Republicans,
was given in the same spirit that a
father might whip child-more in
sorrow than in anger. Sorrow that
the Republican party, which had once
been the standard bearer of progress
and reform, and from which So much
was hoped, should allow itself to be
throttled by the whiskey power-sor-
row too that the necessity existed for
alternating so many of its former adj
herentS.
We cannot agree with Mr.. Cook in
his views on the result. 1t is not the
Prohibitionists, but Republicans who
have committed political suicide. If
the Republican party was the friend
of temperance, as Mr.. Cook and so
many Republicans fondly believe, it
committed suicidal mistake in not
in some way recognizing the senti-
ments of 100000 of its members at
the Chicago convention. If, on the
other hand, it was not friendly to
temperance measures, but was mas
querading and playing the hypocrite
to retain the votes of such ardent Re-
publicans as Mr.. Cook, it certainly
deserved punishment. The Prohibit
tionists believe the latter to be the
case. The experience of a score of
years in trying to get Republican
managers to adopt temperance meas
ures has shown Prohibitionists the
utter futility of the attempt. For
years they have thrown grass, and
nobody cared. Now they have COM
menced throwing stones, and some
one is liable to get hit.
Instead OF committing political sui
eide, the Prohibition party has adj
vanced by one immense bound from
comparative local obscurity as po-
litical faction to national prominence.
1t has shown political parties that
200, 900 earnest men can no longer be
trified with. TO a superficial observ-
er it might seem that immediate re-
suits were disastrous to temperance.
But Prohibitionists are.looking farther
on for results. The skillful surgeon
does not stay his hand when life is to
be saved because cutting may inflict
pain. There is cancer gnawing at
the vitals of this republic which those
not blinded by PARTISAN zeal can see
must soon destroy its very foundations.
The knife of prohibition may cause
pain, and timid people may shut their
eyes at the sight of blood, but it must
and will be used vigorously and effect
ually, that the life of the nation may
be saved. A. NJ. HUTCHINSON.