Smyrna times., 1886-03-03
Eor The Smnna Times.
Running a Third Party.

Mr.. EDITOR Looking over the
proceedings of the Temperance ALI
ance. which met in Wilmington last
week, we notice that they resolved to
place a ticket before the people and
ask their support on the ground that
nothing can be accomplished otherwise.
We also notice that Mr.. Hersey, Mr..
Wells and others are opposed to the
movement. Mr.. Hersey says that
nothing has ever been accomplished
by third party. In this he is mis-
taken. The Mugwumps, or the PrOhi-
bitionists, or both together, defeated
Mr.. Blaine, though it was no credit to
either of them, and third party in !
this State accomplished something |
about 1850. There was a third party |
organized about that time, perhaps a |
little earlier The Whig party was at |
! that time and had been for years in |
power in this State. Both parties
made out their tickets earlier then than
! they do now, so that we had an OppOr-
tunity to see what kind of ticket We
had to look to, and as usual, they were
afraid of the opponents of temperance
and thought it policy to put on ma
iority of opponents of temperance, but
we found enough good men on the two
tickets to make one in favor of legsla-
ton on the question though some of
these were occasional drinkers though
not drunkards, and when it came to
voting in the Legislature, voted really
truer to the cause than did some who
claimed to be temperance men. Our
ticket was composed about equally of
, Wings and Democrats. The result of
that election was prohibitory law.
! Thus it is seen that the third party aC-
: complshed all that it was organized
r for, and had public sentiment been
= educated up to what it is to-day, in
our State, the law would have
Z been sustained. But scheming pOliti-
}. clans and renegade temperance men
n united to defeat the party that passed
d the law, and all Of these Judases, in
d memory of the writer, have come to
grief, without single exception.
Some have lived and died drunkards,
=. and Notwithstanding many of them
have been rewarded with office in lieu
:. of the thirty pieces of silver, some have
Is died insOlvent and all are poorer than
ie they were before.
! Now in regard to to the resolution o.
j, the Alliance we would ask what else
u, could they do but recommend the
n placing of a ticket for the support o
y, temperance men They have pleaded
u prayed and petitiOned for the last TWEEN
s. tV years and as an evidence of public
sentiment, more than half the voter
Is in the State petition only to be KICKED
lis out and the appeals disregarded. Tht
II, Legislature has been addressed b.
ly some of our ablest speakers, praying
y. for a local option law in the most con
a, Vincing language and to the credit {
Nv the House, they did pass one bill, bu
- the power behind the throne Ordere
ce it strangled in the Senate and the
ry did so.
OF Now it seems to US that there is II
I'M alternative but ticket, and on thu
Oy ticket the best men in the community
ih, selected from both parties. And i
OF our platform be broad enough for ten
oi perance men, Grangers and all goo
er' citizens Of all parties to stand on. NJ
w. Wells oilerered Il substitute That
,on either Of the old parties incorporate Il
'm, principles of Prohibition or Local o
IN, tiOn in its platform it will be our dul
Ier. to support the candidates of IN
mp party" The writer would willing
nd, accept that as a substitute. But whe
- biAO uoC VI NttAblAlSS hhbtA 0iAO WYNN q
re- fore the election to know what the o
ut: parties are going to do and then
&. kicked out of the convention as me
W. dlers, who have no business thel
Mr: We have had enough of that. If t
ana party in power would engraft such
ear clause in their platform we wou
)er- ground arms at once, though there a
on other laws that we would like to S
the changed, and we hope to must
arm strength enough in the coming ca
are paign to wish they had done
VIA There are a great many temperaT
onh Democrats who will vote ticket co
the posed of one-half Democrats, W
'tup would not support Republican ticl
sue even though they might engraft Pro
btion in their platform. We theref
lton see no other means of success than
lOle third ticket continued year af
ON year until we either elect or drive I
tne party in power to grant our request.
ntly KENT
Oy Feb. 9Th, 1886.