The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-09

party ticket numbered Only about 5000 In
Maine, ia 1880, the prohibition strength was
nearly 100000. YET the party vote for Neal Dow.
the great apostle of prohibition. was less than
100 In Iowa. last year, the prohibition vote,
through the Republican party, was more than
10000. while the prohibition party vote was
less than 800. have several other objections
to your party organization, but can not give
them now. Your invitation did not ask me what
|. pronounced prohibitionist propose to do in
the matter but while / have the floor will
take the liberty to tell you. nevertheless.
Though the book says the children Of this world
wiser than the children of light l fail to see
that that requires the prohibitionists to let the
liquor sellers monopoize all the good sense there
is. You never catch them in club meeting
like this, trying to organize political party.
They have too much shrewdpess for that You
never find them measuring a candidate by some
arbitrary rule, as you measured Caleb Denny.
last fall and saying that because he does not
fill the bill to dot, they will kill him. They
say: Gentlemen, candidates, we belong to no
party; we saloon keepers, and we vote for the
man that comes nearest to our measure, be he
Republican Democrat" There is good
sense in that In short they apply the
sensible suggestion of the Indianapolis Journal,
a week or so ago. when speaking OF the town
ship trustee, in substance this: IF the Repub
licans nominate an unsuitable man, don't vote
for him. Either don't vote at all, or vote for the
other candidate" That is my platform exactly.
In every municipal, township county-an State
election will vote for Republican if he is half
way right on the temperance question, but il he
IS not, will vote next for Democrat that is
half way right; but if none of this kind is pre-
sented, will either vote at all or will vote
for prohibition candidate inst as | would vote
for. Democrat. without considering my
self under any further obligations to the
party. or the party to me; and / am
sure that in this represent more than $4,000
prohibitiopists in Indiana, except that there are
thousands who are just as true prohlbitlonlsts as
dare be- whose first choice will be the Demo
cratic party, but who will leave it for the Repub
lican party if honestly invited to do SO, provided
the Democratic party offers them no prohibition.
OF course, if, in Indiana this year, the Repub-
licans and the Democrats vie with each other as
they did in Ohio and New York in their con-
tempt for prohibition, there will be a temporary
use for q local prohibition party, but it should
be as in Iowa and Kansas. only until some ma
tional party shall take up prohibition, not mere
ly to entrap votes but because prohibition is
right.
Let me exhort you. in conclusion. to abandon
your party organization at once Run no more
Robert Dennys against our Caleb Dennys in
such crisis as was upon us last fall, and as is
likely to be upon US at the next election in this
county and State. Return to your first love.
Let him among you that was Democrat be
Democrat still, and let him that was Repub-
lican be Republican still. We Republicans
will take you that were Republicans back,
Methodist fashion, six months on trial; and l
am sure that the Democrats will be equally as
liberal toward their erring brethren. Try US
six months. If in that time we do not do some
thing handsome and hopeful in the line of
your speciality, you can backslide and nobody
will censure you; and you don't be-
have properly, but keep mp an unseemly
racket we can drop you and let you go to the
d-d-Democratic party if you want to. If the
Republican party of Indiana shall follow the
bugle-call of the Republican party of Kansas
and Iowa, and make a bold and defiant attack
upon the liquor traffic. though it be only an in
one of you, and you cannot afford to divert
thousand or even hundred votes from us be-
cause we do not dance to your music exactly or
because we direct our fire toward an outpost in
stead of toward the citadel. You may be sure
that the liquor power will do nothing of that
sort. They will skirmish around and vote for
the man and with the party that come nearest
their ideal, but they will vote for
no neutrals But if the Republican party
proposes nothing of the kind But it will DE
time enough to give advice when we sure
that it will propose nothing and do nothing to
squarey antagonize the Democratic party and
its friends this, the most absorbing issue be-
fore the people. At this time can promise you
only this: The Republican party will nominate
no liqaor sellers who VIGOROUSLY
identified with the Conroy element of society, for
either State or county Offices. Again let me say,
come home dear friends, come home. We will
not kill the fatted calf nor make any great fuss
over you. The boot is on the other foot; but you
shall be treated fairly and we will forgive your
little prodigal episode of last fall provided you
don't do so any more.