West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1885-09-02
q. A. II. AGAIN.
A RpiOinder to Rev. X. Harper's
Reply.

~P-J
Mr.. Harper still insists upon it
that the Temperance question had
become "perpiexing" one to the
political parties in their conven-
tions, and cites as proof, the Ma.
tional Conventions at Chicago, and
those held in this state a year ago.
Whatever else the gentleman may
or may not be able to do, I am sure
he has almost perfected the art of
lodging as may be seen in the way
he tries to manage this discussion.
Respecting the Chicago conven-
tion5, be says, The question (of
temperance was there and might
have been felt with more force if
the temporary organization had
been more solid instead of being
broken into factions"
Yes, indeed! the question
"m ight' have been felt with more
force "if"-two parties rotten to
the core on the liquor question had
not been in convention assem- bled.
No doubt the question would have
been considered "af' it had not
lacked friends, but that cruel "if''
spoils it all.
Miss Willard made her plea be-
fore the committee on Platform for
a submission plank. At the con-
clusion, all was silent for a moment
when sturdy Dutchman remarked
that to NEEDLE with that question
would lose Ohio to the Repu olicans.
That WAS enough. They were
ready to hear from the whisky side,
and did Wonderful "struggle,"
thatl But "if'' so and so had been
SO, then so and SO might" have
been 80. The Democrats declared
against "sumptuary laws" This,
however, would not have been SO
"if' it had not been a whisky
party. "If' the Republicans could
have been assured that a word
favorable to Prohibition would put
them on the popular side, make
them friends &C., things might
have been different.
''If' the Devil had not tempted
the primeval pair, their pure char
acters might" have remained un-
soiled by sin. But, as he did tempt
and deceive them, [ shall offer no
apology for him, nor try to justify
their lack of faith,
"The Democratic Convention at
Wheeling" Mr.. Harper says, Ibid
struggle with the Temperance
question in their Committee on
Resolutions" Does he mean to say
that a five or ten minutes talk
over the subject was "struggle p
II the Committee on Resolutions,
in the next State Democratic Con-
vention, should refuse, ten to one,
TO endorse a resolution tavorlng
Mormonism, would Mr.. H. call that
"struggling" with Mormonism ?
How true that drowning man
will catch at straws. If the gentle
man could just get in his ''ifs" and
might have beens" and so on, he
might" make cut clear case: but
such things are not arguments.
The Republicans at Parkersburg
gave an official utterance u pom this
question Of questions. The Con-
vention was representative in its
make up. 1t was largely attended.
The rural districts" were better
represented than usual. But this
representative body of Republicans
kicked a submission plank over
board, No place in the platform
for it. Three to one were against
it. There is no use in trying to
explain this or that about it. We
see what was done. The liquor ele-
ment captured the convention.
"Ifs" don't come in here.
He refers to Maine to show that
a political party has been known
to chain pion the Prohibition ques-
ton when it's majority over the
norty uo- Cpool ii ADM f.