Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-07-30

MILTON, July 10, 1856


To the Editor OF the Free Press:
have read with interest recent utter
ances of your paper, both editorials and
extracts from other sheets, concerning
third party prohibitionists. sympathlZe
with you in the desire that republicans so
act rs to make a distinctively temperance
party needless, and share your apprehen-
sion of danger from this movement and
because wishing these dangers met in the
surest way, | offer some thoughts on the
subject and ask from your broader expert
euce further discussion of certain points
cast my first presidential ballot for
| the republican party, in the last election,
| believing that disaster would fall upon
our land if any other came to power |
resented as strongly as any one the action
of St. John and his followers. and honest
| ly thought that the ''cause of temperance
had been set back 30 years" | have since
tried to study candidly this growing move
ment, to gain reliable information from
its advocates as to its origin, principles,
progress and prospects. Two years ago
shared current impression that this
third party was simply a petulant revolt
of disgruntled politicians and though
still feeling that 1t is mistake for any
temperance voter in Vermont to Join this
organization today, believe that impress
sion was unjust, and that there are GER
tain facts Just here which republicans
cannot safely ignore facts which, to say
the least, have been obscured by recent
utteranCes in your paper.
First. as TO the principles of this new
party 1t is useless to deny that in ii are
thousands of earnest, conscientious, in
telhgent voters who have regretiully left
old party ties, who are consistently acting
upon principles which in their judgment
entItle them to be called party OF moral
ideas" Allow what you please for cranks
and political dead beats, this first state
mcut is true. These principles may be
: stated as follows First, the securing of
absolute prohibition, constitutional when
- possible, otherwise statutory second, the
= election of officials who Will enforce, and
= not ignore, such law IhlS first principle
J regards as fundamentally wrong any sane
i tioning of the liquor traffic by the law
4 either by tax, high or low license 1T leok,
= to absolute prohibition as the only line
II upon which the temperance reform car
i ultimately be carried, and as firmly be
d lieVes that partial measures are strength
eniug, not weakening the saloon. 1t re
4 members that the organized saloon in
T. terest Of today is unitedly asking for tn,
l. protection and responsibility afforded by
II high license. Will You please state Il
D
, PRESS believes this to be sound princi
# Pile
n The second essential of the third party
y platform, the nomination of officer
e pledged to enforce the law, is the one L
Z which You and !, as republicans, take eX
y ception. But has our party given no Oc
~ casion for the enunciation of such prin
~ ciple, and its enforcement AT the polls !
m it not true that during the last few years
ID and especially during the last few months
there has been much in republican con
at duct to provoke such course am no
n try ing to defend the new party, but sin
III. ply to call attention to facts which under
= lie It's action. Look at the recent nations
be- conventions. In 1872 the year, by tn
way, when the first presidential cand
"l date was nominated by the third part
Se the Raster resolution was made "a part {
a. the republican platform, adopted by tn
~ platform committee with the full and el
an plict understanding that its purpose wa
~ the misunderstanding of all SO called ten
cy perance (prOhibltOry) and Sunday laws.
Ger This quotation is from a letter written /
nnr the author of the resolution This ant
m. cipated the platform adopted by the dem
an Gratis in 81, COndemning all "sumptual
legislaton.' Since 1872 has any nationi
lc' convention done more than to simply +
he affirm that condemnation of prohibition
we ask for information. The third part
IT, people have not forgotten the rejection
ia 81 of the memorial from the women
Ter the land asking that the party comm
Tor itself toa direct submission of constit
tioual prohibition TO popular vOt
on Blaines lodging the vote on this que
.'oi ton in his own state was widely int
nm. preted as symbolizing the attitude of n
rs party as a whole.
ne Look at the party in New York, the pi
Tea otal state III 81 and probably i'm -
ar Grant that it contains majority of q
- temperance voters in the state can it
ate denied that its managers are i'm compile
ccs subsection to the liquor interests 1wi
my m recent Years the party in state COuVc
aut lion hns nromised to submit the uupStu IL
-, a of prohibition to the popular vote ON
YER strength of this promise it has twice be
given Il clear working majority in I
di- legislature by temperance voters al
twice, in obedience to liquor dominate
m the promise has been broken, Is itstran