The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-13
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
omen Letter 20 J. q. Kincsbury.

Open Letter 10 j. G. Kingsbury
J. G Kingsbury, Secretary Prohibition County Conn
Your letter of Feb %. informing me that
have been appointed on the county central COM
Enlttse of the Prohibition party, was received
several weeks ago. but have not found time to
suitably answer it till now. You do not misunder-
stand me when you take me to be Prohibition
ist / am so extreme upon that question that
n willing to sacrifice almost every other point
lcaI question for it. used to be Repuoncan'
but am not now. For many years voteo snAb
ticket without q scratch, but for ten years or
more / have voted as l thought most
promotive of temperance, regardless OF
party. This has led me all along TOT the
most part 10 vote for Republicans. out not as
Republicans. but as the best represrutablvs Of
temperance that could be mad at that particular
time Fonr wears ago when the Republicans
in State convention refused TO say a WORD 1or
temperance in their platform: refused 20 vote
the State ticket, and as the Marion county he
pubieans Shove ed their trucking to the hquor
traffic by nominating wealthy liquor seller for
the best county ONCE, refused 70 vote tne
co.,rse Init did what / could to support the
State and county Prohibition tickets. for the
Democratic platform and men were no better,
bnt worse rather But this did not make
ma a third party man. did not see
any proper connection between these
local issues and the national questions
the Republican party of Indiana and Of Marion
county to the demands of the Liquor League
should make me ignore the record of the Repub-
lican party in the affairs Of the Nation. / know
that it is customary for your papers and speak
ers to sheer at the g. o. p.D. and at any refer
ence to the war and its results, but l have no
9ympathy with that method of promoting the
cause of prohibition. Perhaps the fact that one
of my sons died in the Andersnnviile prison, and
that the sons of many of my neighOors went out
to war and never came back, or came back IN
their collins. has something TO do with my con-
victlon that the Republican party is grand
old party" Perhaps ike ex-
perence might change your views as TO
the history of that party, and you might dread.
rs do, the return OF the Democi attic party 10
power Under these convictions, while voting
for the Prohibition tickets for State and comfy
Offices in 1884. / voted for Mr.. Blaine for Presl-
dent
In short, never belonged to the Prohibition
party, and never expect to. Why should LIZ In
the first place. have discovered that its meth
DDS are no improvement upon the most obJec-
tionabe methods of other parties. 1t requires
it's members to be as strictly partisan any
party does or ever did. party discipline that
will require professed temperance men to defeat
such n Judge Elliott, when
the only alternative was the election OF sucn
O man as Coffroth, to defrat such a
D man Judge Irwin Mayor Denny when
the only alternative was the election of a mere
tool of the Liquor League is a discipline that
will not submit Besides this, my nelehhors
are nearly all opposed to the saloon. think
that four out of every five voters OF Pike town
ship are antI-saloon men. They do not all
agree with that prohibitlon is the only
proper thing. but they all want 10 do something
to get rid Of the saloon. Shall l Withdraw
from them and perch myself on platform they
cannot reach now2 It seems to me a wiser
thing 10 help them far as they go, and get
them TO 60 further when can. That was Mr..
Lineoln's policy on the slavery question.
To be frank with you in another matter. while
] would not include you personally In the
charge, must say that am convinced tnat the
leaders of the Prohibition party. for some cause
fIrT iprA on InY
the Republican party than they are on securing
prohibition l have been reader OF the
Phalanx for two years until lately. and am
sure that for a year or more 1t has devoted ten
times as much space to abusing the Republican
party it has toward educating the people to
hate the saloon. and this is the official organ OF
che party, and speaks for them.
For these and other reasons 1 cannot accept
the position of a member of the central commit
tee from Pike township. What | shall do. or
for whom l shall vote. depend on future
Developments If the Republicans do
well as they did two years
ago in platform and ticket, shall
vote with them unless the Democrats do better
than thew; but if neither pleases me. shall vote
the Prohi btion State and county ticket. as did
four years ago; hut will not, therefore, belong
to the ProhibItio party, and therefore cannot
serve on the central com mittee You ask
10 send man in my place If cannot come. To
ne frank with you, do not know a man in Pike
township who can be induced TO serve
mitteeman In a party whose only or chief end is
60 destroy the Republican party, unless 1t be
someone who has some personal grievance to
revenge. ether as an old-time Democrat or sore
heAded Republican, while / could give you
hundred names that opposed to the saloon.
and who are with me IN making that hostility felt
ut every election by voting only for good men,
There are Democrats who will vote for tenn
perAnce Republicans Republicans who will
vote for tenn perance Democrats rather than vote
for liquor men in their own party, OF rather than
throw away their votes where they will do
good; and they will do this without regard TO the
platform of the party, too, for my observation is
that men are often better than their platform,
and often worse. seen In the last Legis-
2ature, som~ Democrats voting for local option
and some Republicans voting against it, For
these and otaer reasons You must excuse
Yours respectfully. STEPHEN GULLEFER.
PIKE TOWNSHIP. Marion county. March H.