The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-07-31
TIE PROHLBITIoN CoNYEN

ELlR.
Globe-Democrat ThS visiting states
to Pirsburg q spy Dut me-
Prohibition camp and zee shat
manner OF men wers there, have zone
back 70 the capital in great disgust, de-
claring the camp. full of Democrats of
the most ultra and virulent type. The
cry Of the camp seems 20 be anything 20
beat Blaine, and the determination TO
put ticket in the neId at al events, In
spito Of argument OF remembrance, 1nd
the certainty that Il will be beaten by
such odds as were seldom known save in
the case of the late Greenbackers, make
this assurance dOubiY sure. and plainly
announces 70 the country what thecoun-
Try strongly suspected before, that the
Prohibition movement Is but Democracy
disguised, and not very well disguised
either. ~A
The worthy ladies and gentleman who
have met at Pittsburg for the purpose Of
singing psalms and nominating csndi-
date for president do not appear to see
that the question Of prohibition is one
that each state, for long time to come
At least, will have TO settle for itself;
that II is q question that has no place in
national politics; that, In the neYeF-to-
be-forgotten language of Gen. Hancock,
It is a local issue which localities that
consider themselves afflicted by the
liquor trafic will have to adjust for
themselves, and which they Will, by the
common consent Of everybody, be al.
lowed to adjust in any way that pleases
them.
The Prohibition convention, like the
ProhibitiOnIst, generally, makes no dis.
elimination between prohibition and
temperance, whereas the difference is 90
strongly marked a. 20 be Visible to him
that runneth. Comparatively few men
doubt the value or the positive benefit o.
the temperance movement Kept with
in reasonable bounds, It has accomplish
ed much good, though, like most reform
movements, 1t has fallen, at various
times and In sundrY places, into the
hands of men who used the zeal of IL
advocates aud promoters for their OWL
selfish ends, and consequently rode tC
power on q horse never Intended to car
~ them, but which they were shreWG
enough TO see might be made to do thei
work if they could only once firml,
seat themselves IN the saddle and &c
tight grasp on the reins. So the tenn
perance movement has been perveTte'
and much of its value lost from tn
character cf the demagogues who wert
allowed to thrust themselves into il
management as leaders. Any reform
) no matter how benefcIent Its object O
J how pure its motives, will
more or less judged by the character G
those who are most prominent In advC
: eating it, and the temperance move
ment formed no exception to the genert
: rule, for years ago it was dropped b
hundreds of able and intelligent mel
who saw that they were being made th
tools OF knaves, and preferred to witt
draw rather than continue IN the capal
ity OF cat's-paws.
So with the prohibition movement (
to-day. It was started by honest mel
who were honest in their conviction
' that all dealing in alcoholic liquors WI
!, wrong and should be discountenanced
q the extent of absolute prohibition. The
: were pure In their Intentions, thong
4 possibly mistaken both as to the poss
q BILE future of their undertaking and Il
d difficulties that lay in the way of rea
! izing their object, but are, nevertheless
q to be respected for their honesty az
It candor But their movement has share
v the fate of many such; has fal
y en- into the clutches of mt
At who are utterly INSCRIPTIONS, and al
> anxious only to use the influence of Il
n prohibition cause for what 1t may
worth to them in the advancement
q their schemes, when they will drop it
c. favor of any other movement that MI
oi happen to promise best results. The
- - lance of the ProhibitionIsts has, in th
ri case, been somewhat unfortunate, sim
W the union of Prohibition and DemocI
n cy cannot do otherwise than provoke
.. smile; but If the Democrats can stal
ol it, the ProhIbitiOnists certainly Dug
n not to vince, and such has been the II
N ord of Democracy on the liquor questT
II that there ought to be more joy over Of
m Democrat that signs the pledge tn
IS over ninety and nine Republicans VI
70. went not astray.
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