West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1886-03-17
WEST VIRGINIA FREEMAN |
PROHIBITION BROADSIDE.
An Open Letter to the "West
VIrginian."

the following somewhat peTSo7'd'
and decidedly vigorous letter, in
the Fairmont West Vir9imian, over
the signature of Mr.. Frank Burt, Of
Warrington. 1t is well worth
reading; see if it isn't.
EDITOR WEST VIRGINIAN:
| have read your editorial of last
week, in which you apparently de-
ny the right of the Prohibition par
ty to exist unless made up of ex-
Democrats. In reviewing your re-
marks, it is the spirit Of opposition
manifested, rather than any argu-
mentative features which attracts
my attention. Since as a re presen.
tative of the Republican party you
court luminosity, you ought to ex-
pect the "hett of the obloquy" to
be directed to the party that "bob-
bed up its head"
I regret to hear your confession
that you didn't know there was
such man as Hon. A. A. Hopkins
of New York. He resides at Roch-
ester, and is known among the ed
ucators and writer's of the age as
Prof. Hopkins. He received more
votes for Governor of New York in
1882 than any other candidate on
the Prohibition ticket in any State
to that date. Buy political al
manac and avoid publicity of such
little ignorance in future. You
frankly admit that the other gen.
tleman who will speak at Fair
mont on the 18th inst. is known to
you, but you suspect he he'd
grievance or he never would have
quit your party. Don't you know
that he had a grievance, and don't
you know that your party had no.
tice of it for years, and that your
remark that he left on short notice
is not fact. You were present at
the Parkersburg Convention Of "a,
when Mr.. Carskadon fully stated
his grievance. Your State Execu-
tive Committee have been appeal
ed to by him on the subject of his
grievance time and again. 1t is
the same grievance that other men
have found, and that makes the
Prohibition party a necessity. You
unwittingly tell che story when
you call attention to the idea that
your party has at some time or
place taken up moral reform and
lost support by 80 doing-lost sup
port, as you say, because it incurr-
ed the displeasure of many who for
personal considerations were long
or unwilling to remain in it.
These men who vote for personal
considerations" are opposed to NOR
al reform; they are the liquor men,
and they have your party by the
throat, and so long as it is run on
that idea of Support" alone, so
long will the liquor interests domi-
neer over you as they are doing to-
day. When a man like Mr.. Cars
kadon-the old original Abolition
list and founder Of the Repu blican
party in these mountain regions;
man who has always been fore
most in reform, and is opposed to
a burden of evil for support
when such man, still advancing,
goes out of your party, as you say,
clicked himself out" then does it
not become men Of lesser caliber to
give one sensible thought and ask
themselves what they are voting
for and why they should remain in
q party which Gas you say) cannot
advocate reform without loss OF
support!
You have not offered to members
of your party who desire reform
any pretext why they should re-
main. True, you say you make no
war upon Temperance (neither for
nor against) and it's discreet to
say that, for a war upon temper
ance would antagonize nearly the
whole State against you. l have
seen scarcely a man for the past
year who was not really anxious to
explain and have it generally
known that he was in favor of
temperance. AS long as a
nan can walk q crack he
loists the banner of temperance.
saloon keepers advertise for tenn