Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-09-02
What Can be Done by Prohibition Party,

Elections presuppose the existence o.
at least two parties, otherwise there
would be no need of voting at all
When number of men have a com
mou purpose to be accomplished by
legislation, it is for them to determine
whether they can better attain their OBJ
ject by acting with one or both the ex-
listing parties. or through separate
organization. The single question OF
appropriated by any one party. 1t has
no affinity with other great questions
such as protection, free trade, monop.
olies, rights of labor, the rehabilitation
of a solid South. the forcible suppress
sion of the Republican party there and
thus restoring the political condi-
tons that preceded and caused the war.
If ever the Prohibition amendment
crowns the constitutional ediice in this
state, IT will be submitted to the people
by legislature composed of men OF
both the old parties, perhaps not one
of them belonging to the third party,
if there shall be such party at that
time.
And certainly we should favor the
submission of any constitutional amend
ment to the popular vote, if a large
~. nln e fnlt
citizens and voters had petitioned the
legislature for such submission for a
series of years. The Legislative dam
must give way under the increasing
pressure.
We know there are thousands of con-
scientious and intelligent men in our
state who have studied the mischief and
deadly blight of intoxicating drinks in
all its ramitications, manhood's nobest
impulses and angelic intellect domin
ated by degrading appetite-giving
us the drunkard, an artificial monde
script who has no rank in the genera
or species of nature giving us poverty,
shame, sin. Death on his pale horse,
with widows and orphans in his train,
and like an army in a detile absolutely
arresting and defYing the further on
ward movement of the age in the direc.
ton of moral and material progress
Such pictures. not overdrawn by Mr.
DIN, will, in a community where there
is any virtue, intellectual or religion:
life, unite in some way all good and
patriotic men and women in efforts foi
the utter extinction of the portentous
curse. The delivery of the human
family from its thralldom will be 4
triumph of Christianity as GLORIOUS and
as devoutly to be wished for as any
which has occurred since its Author
gave up his life for mans redemption
But after all that may be said of the
evils of the alcoholic appetite, of which
the sketch above is scarcely glimpse
we do not see that the formation of q
distinctly Prohibition party is wise
and prudent measure for the suppress.
sion of the evil.
1t is true that the conduct and action
of the old abolitionists seems to afford
some countenance and sanction for the
organization of Prohibition party.
The argument is that the defeat of the
Republican party must result in the
formation of new party, which can
only be the Prohibition pa. ", precisely
rs the disirtegraton of the Wing party
was succeeded by the Republican party.
But such a result we regard as q
political impossibility, considering the
nature of the weapons and warfare by
which men are to he rescued from the
dominion of a deprayed appetite.
Is it not remarkable that notwlth.
standing the contest in Maine for more
than an average generation, culminat.
ing in q prohibItory constitutional
amendment in 1884, that the two par.