Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-11-05
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Need OF the prohibitlon pnrtv.

Need OF the Prohibition Party.
To the Editor of EVENING JOURNAL,
In his last letter in the Morning News
Patriot" endeavors to show the imprac-
ticability of the Prohibition party, and
says among other things that it is grasping
after law in advance of a sentiment to
sustain it. 1t does not seem to be much
in advance when we remember that the
ten states-kansas. North Carolina,
Iowa. Ohio, Michigan, Maine. Rhode
Island, Texas, Tennessee and Oregon
which have voted on the question, cast a
total of |, 100, 267 votes in favor Of con.
stitutional prohibition; and this in spite
Of the strenuous opposition Of the liquor
interests and the utter Indifference or
open hostility of the leaders of both the
Republican and Democratic parties This
grand total does not include the vote for
local option in different states. particu-
larly IN the South, which. added to the
vote for constitutional prohibition, would
constitute number almost, il not quite.
equal to the popular vote which elected
Lincoln to the Presidency in 1860. But
granting that the Prohibitionists are in
advance of public sentiment, which we
doubt, that is no objection, but rather
reason for greater activity on the part Of
the Prohibition party in molding public
opinion up to the true standard. 4
The Republican party is the servant Of
the rum oligarehy One Of the most
glaring evidences Of this is the notorious
raster resolution, adopted by the
Republican National Convention
Of 1872 Mr.. Raster, the author
Of this infamous resolution. sub
sequently said Ii was adopted BY the
Platform Committee with the full and ex-
plicit understanding that its purpose was
the misunderstanding of all so-called tenn.
perance (prohibitory) and Sunday laws
This attitude the party has not vet seen
tit to reverse by any national utterance.
Indeed the present national platform has
a very decided leaning in the same direc-
ton when it reatlirms its "unswerving
devotion to the personal rights and liber-
ties of citizens of all the states and terri
tories In this great temperance ~ party
are to be found such representative liquor
men as Sheridan Shook, the leading
brewer of New York, who heartily en-
dorses the 'cordal-sympathy' resolution,
and Frank J. Carroll Of New York city:
Colonel y. 9. Keller, recently president
Of the Pennsylvania Liquor League, and
also chairman Of the Finance Committee
of the Pennsylvania State Central Com
mittee; George b. Cox, liquor
merchant of Cincinnati, and president
of the Young Mems Blaine Club of that
city. Morris NJ. Estee of California, per.
manent chairman of the last National
Republican Convention is said to be
prominent wine merchant What means
all this, if it is not proof conclusive that
the Republican party is in league with
with the liquor interests os the coun-
try?
The very attitude of both old parties
makes the organization of a separate party
an absolute necessity. Patriot says that
this course in the full light of preceding
history. cannot but be suicidal / chal-
lenge him TO produce evidence of any
damage whatever being done to the tenn
perance cause by Prohibitionists casting
their votes for St. John in 1884. Instead
of the cause being set back twenty years.
as our Republican friends predicted the
movement for prohibition received a
most wonderful impetus. St. Johns
total vote in 1884 was 150. 600: two years
later, Notwithstanding the twenty years
setback, the total Prohibition Congress
sional vote, in only two-thirds Of the
states, was 300, 900. And had ii
not been for such separate politi-
cal action, the great agitation of the past
few years and the good resulting there
from would never have been realized
Let us have a few more years of such
wonderful growth, and Patriot" will
awake some fine morning to find the
Prohibition party holding the reins Of
the government, with the legalized saloon
existing only in history
G. E. X.
III fBaa