Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-04
Gross NIiscOnceptiOn of Plain
Programme.

A Gross MiscOnceptfOn of a Plain
Programme.
Our esteemed contemporary, the
Times, has of late kept up frantic war
fare against the Prohibition party on the
ground that its leaders are helping to
elect the Democratic candidates. AS if
it were unearthing something that no.
body else had ever heard OF, it itreproduces
a great amount of very poor stuff to
show that there is an entente cordtdte be-
tween the Democratic and Prohibition
parties in the ensuing campaign. The
authorities quoted by our contemporary
are of a very fishy order and we have
taken no stock in their outgivings,
especially in those portions OF them that
relate to the employment OF Democratic
money to energize the Prohibition cam
paign. This is all mere leather and pru'
nella, for the simple reason that there is to
be no money in the Democratic cam
paign save such as may be subscribed by
enthusiastic Democrats to help along, in a
legitimate manner, the cause to which
they are devoted. No "bar'ls' will figure
in the Democratic rally. Both Cleveland
and Thurman are poor men, and they
range in the category legitimately classed
as poor but honest.
The great mass Of the Prohibition par
ty belong to the class Of amiable idealists.
They are not in any sense mercenary.
Where they are honest, and they
are so almost to man, they
are absolutely without a suspicion
of a sordid impulse. They be-
lieve in the amelioration of the world to
an extent not even dreamed of by Tenny-
son in his Locksley Hall. They
live in Utopia as visionary
as was ever bodied forth by a
Sir Thomas More. Practical peo-
pie discount their hopes, pity their in
fatuation, wish them we'll and regret
that the beatitudes are not things of this
work-a-day world. There is nothing
about them that justifes the brutal IN,
situation of the Times.
There is no earthly reason why there
should be any misconception OF the posi-
ton of the Prohibition leaders. Their
attitude, as respects the Republican
party, is somewhat analogous to that OF
Christ, on certain memorable occasion,
when he said: Jerusalem, Jerusalem.
l would have gathered thee, as the hen
gathereth her chickens, but ye would
not" The leaders of the Prohibition
party were for years most effu-
sive in their preferences for the
Republican party. Perhaps their later
animosity to the pretended "God and
Morality organization has some affinity
to that sentiment said to be peculiar to
women, and which is embodied in the
familiar proposition that "hell hath no
fury like woman scorned." At all
events, the warm advances Of the Prohi-
bition party were not met in fitting vein
and the result is now seen of all men
alienation complete and utter-hostility
to the point of war, and war to the
knife.
Such has been the mood of the Pro-
hibition party for at least four years. AS
we have had occasion to point out be-
fore, and as we again point out for the
instruction of our Republican contem-
porary, failing to rule the Republican
party, they are determined to ruin it..
They propose to do this on very logical
grounds. They leave no one in any
doubt either as to their hopes
or their plans. With the Re-
publican party once out of the way they
think that they will inherit nearly all of
its membership. They look upon the
Republican party as having fulfilled its
mission and as in state of disintegration
In this we think they are right. They
know well that the Republican party
comprises in its membership all the
enthusiasms and visionary people of the
country-those who are generally
under the name of isms. For
the old Democratic and Whig politicians
who control that organization they care
They think that if the Repub-
lican party is thoroughly defeated in the
ensuing campaign it will disband. Again
We agree with them.
The Republican party once disbanded,
he Prohibitionists expect to be great
md successful political organization.
Here we disagree with them. We think |