Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1885-04-11

Wig Neal Do,c Leaves the Repub-
licam Party.-The following letter
from Hon. Neal Dow has been handed
to us by q temperance man of the
county with request to publish
PORTLAND, Me-, April 9Th, 1885.
Dear Sri will state to you very briefly
the reasons which lead me now to break
finally with the Republican party.
| can see no probable condition in the
future that will be likely to lead me to re-
consideration Of my resolution,
l have been for years intensely anxious to
procure such additional legislation as would
enable US speedily and etfectualy to sweep
away from our State every vestige of the
secret liquor traffic which now infcsts our
larger towns, though it has been suppressed
in all our rural districts and smaller towns
and villages. l hoped to do this through the
Republican party as an easier and speedier
way of accomplishing it. we could easily
smash the party, but the construction of 4
new party through which to accomplish our
purpose would require time, which | desire
to avoid. With this view we had a long
negotiation with the leaders of the party the
result of which was an agreement clearly eX-
| pressed in a resolve adopted unanimously at
the annual State Republican Convention,
the largest convention Of any kind ever held
in Maine. give you the resolve:
We refer with confidence and pride to the
| general record of the Republican party in
support of the policy of prohibiting the traf
tic of intoxicating liquors, the wisdom an(
efficiency of which legislation in promotnl
the moral and material interests of Maine
have been demonstrated through the practi
cal humiliation Of that traffic in large por
ton of our State, and re fdvOr SUch tegiSldtiO;
and s'sch enforcement Of the lars as mW Sceur
to ere'Y portion Of oar territory freedom iron
that tragic. We further recommend the sub
| mission to the people of 4 constitutional
| amendment.
We supposed this bargain was made
honestly, freely and in entirely good faith
We supposed our most ardent desires were [,
be speedily realized. l suppose | am no
wrong in thinking that if the Republican
party in every northern state had in goot
faith put that resolve in its platform Their
would have been no Prohibition candidate il
the field. But we soon found that we ha,
Will
political hacks.
1t was with difficulty We succeeded in hay
ing constitutional amendment submitted t.
the people, and we think we should hav
failed in this, but for the hopes and expecta
ton that it would be lost, as they openl
predicted it would be. It was adopted, how
ever, by an overwhelming majority. Blu
for all that the Legislature, unanimousl
Republican, absolutely refused TO keep faitl
: with us in the matter of effective legislation
Their attitude was equivalent to this: 9TH
grog shops shall not be suppressed. We vii
take them under the protection of the Repul
lican party. Help yourselves if you can"
Many of our friends, at the very beginnin
ofthese negotiations assured Us we would b
! cheated and betrayed. But taking counsel {
our hopes we trusted in men who are ruI
ming the Grand Old Party into the groun
by their lack Of honesty and honor.
Respectfully,
NEAL Dow.