The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-07-13
the Ys,ree pori,sca, Platforms.

Joiee.
The Three Polisieai Platforms.
The Prohibition platform declares for
no whisky.
The Republican platform for free wills
ky, if necessary 10 prevent tariff reduc-
ton.
The Democratic platform for mred
whisky.
There, gentlemen, You have your choice
mo, free or tarea. Choose ye which you
like best.
For one, | propose to vote the Prohibit
tion ticket, in order to declare my prefer
ence for the humiliation of the saloon
over any plan for allowing it freedom to
sell liquid damnation, or for taxing it to
raise u revenue.
There is nothing like getting a question
down fine, so that the common people may
understand What they are voting for.
The supposition is that the voter, when
he casts his ballot, not only expresses his
preference for certain candidates but votes
for certain principles, and the platform
system has been devised in order to give
an opportunity for so doing,
IL n man votes the Republican ticket
next Fall he declares himself in favor of
free whisky, whether that is his intention
Or not. That's What the platform calls
for. If he votes the Democratic ticket
he thereby says, 'I'm for a tax on liquor"
If he casts his ballot for the Prohibition
lists he announces the fact that he favors
the annihilation Of the liquor curse.
If this is not true there is no meaning in
platforms, and they should never be writ
ten and submitted to the people.
Do platforms mean anything
You would think so il you ever attended
q convention. The most competent men of
the party are generally selected to draw
them up, and the committee usually re-
mains in session for hours to hear all sides
Of disputed questions, and the result of
their deliberations is in most cases the
united views of the body they represent
On questions upon which the conven-
ton is pretty nearly divided the course
pursued is to adopt Il ''blind' resolution,
that will take a Philadelphia lawyer to
tell you what it does or what it does not
mean.
Political platforms are made up of
planks, having one great big plank in the
centre. to which all the little planks are
dashed.
The big plank OF the Prohibition party
platform is stamped PRoHrBTTIoN OF THE
LIQUoR TRAFFIC.. That of the Republi-
cans, Projection TO AMERICAN INDUS
TRIES, and that of the Democrats, REDUC-
TON OF THE WAR TARIFF.
Here are the main issues presented: De
| struction of the Liquor Traffic; Protection
to Home Industries, and the Reduction of
4 War Tariff. All are important; but the
first one is the only one that affects the
souls as we'll as the bodies Of the people Of
tins nation, and it is my opinion that if
adopted by the people it will accomplish
the object aimed at by each OF the other
parties.
ihlS campaign SioUlu DC one oi ulea-
sures rather than of men.
When | cast my ballot it will be not
only for that grand man, Clinton B. Fisk,
but also for the platform of principle on
which he stands.
Platforms are not sufficiently discussed,
aud the people should, therefore, be
brought up to the point of using both
their time and brains to ascertain what
they are doing when they go to the polls
to fulfil one Of the most serious duties they
owe to themselves, their families, and tho
community.
Don't vote the Prohibition ticket be-
cause somebody tells you to. Don't vote
either the Republican or Democratic ticket
for that reason. "Read, mark, learn, and
inwardly digest the platforms in which
are set forth the principles Of the various
political parties that ask for your suffrage,
and vote that ticket that comes nearest to
what you believe to be right, never asking
whether it will be victorious or be defeated.
= George II. Scott.