The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-18
The Prohibitory Amendment and tho Re-
pubIIcnn Party,

The PrOhibItOry Amendment and tho lee
publican Party.
In to.day's INTELLIdENcEs appears a
very interesting communication from
Hon. Dave D. johnson, Of Parkersburg.
The article relates to the proposed pro-
hibitory amendment and the Republic
can party, and deserves acareful reading.
We cannot agree with Mr.. johnson
that when Republican declares he will
not support the prohibitory amendment
because the political Prohibitionistsper-
sist in their intention to put ticket in
the field, it is "a remarkable exhibition
Of Spite" or that this declaration has
anything to do with the freedom of the
ballot. Political Prohibitionists are at
liberty, as they were before, to put up
their ticket and to solicit votes for it.
They are warned that if they do this the
result will be the loss of some votes
which otherwise the amendment would
have received.
The declaration, or admission, or, II
you please, threat, means that under
certain specified circumstances the
amendment will not do so well. II the
Prohibitionists prefer votes for their
ticket to vote for the amendment, they
will not be moved by anything that all
the Republicans in the State may say OF
or against their unquestionable right to
place ticket in the field and to work
for it as other politicians work for their
tickets.
The INTILLlGEEcER is unable to say
what attitude the leading Republicans"
are going to assume towards the amend
mendment. The probable attitude Of
those Republicans who lead themselves
and do the bulk OF the Republican vot-
ing is less difficult to determine. We
think that Mr.. johnson has already sent
u guess pretty close to the bull's-eye'
There is belief among the masses oil
the Republicans OF West Virginia that
the Prohibition party men are more con
cerned about polling largo vote for
their hopeless ticket than they are about
carrying the amendment; and in this be-
lief Republicans find themselves strong
ly supported by the grave accusations Of
so eminent Democrat and Prohibition
list as Judge Ferguson, of Kanawha.
1t is further believed by the Republic
cans OF West Virginia that this State in
this year offers fair field for the
triumph of the policy OF Protection to
American industries, and that nothing
stands SO much in the way as the abso.
lutte certainty that a Prohibition ticket
will be in the field to help the party Of
Free Trade and Whisky Trusts. Being
human and thoughtful, with some
knack for tracing causes to their
Legitimate effects, they resent the politi'
cal plans of the Prohibitionists and de-
cline to cooperate with them in any
way. This is not true OF all Republic
cans, but it is Of some.
Tho INTELLIoENcER has no knowledge
of the persistent conspiracy OF silence
regarding the measure on the part of the
Republican press and leaders" 1t is
true that the Prohibitionists have had
the field OF discussion almost entirely to
themselves: which is to be accounted for
in part by the natural timidity Of the
average politician; in part by the fact
that some newspapers do not like to have
it said that they "have been bought up
by the rum-power," and again because
there are newspaper editors and politi-
clans in the Republican party who,
though not favoring the principle OF
Prohibition or fearing that it might oper-
ate no better here than in other States,
have been willing to see the experiment
made, and 80 have offered no opposition.
We venture to predict that this last
class will not be so numerous as the
summer wears on.