River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-10-11
SHADOWS AND REALITY.
Is Not Certainty Surpr Than an Uncer-
tainty:-4An Open Letter to ThIrdsParty
Prohibitionists.

taintye-An Open Letter to hIrd-Party
Prohibitionists.
Those @ho issist thst prohibition il the
| oyershadowtng issue o. the dav demanding
the disrupt ng Of party ties whenever neees-
sAry TO secure its progress should certainly
act upon the own professions They may. OF
course, prefer that their own party shall do
/ the WORK ant wear the crown" but. whenever
IL is contessedly unable Ia effect any thing at
gwen election, and another party is both al be
and wiling 10 do much, they shcHld NOT inai-
tate the dog in the Manager, II they arc m
willing TO be regarded either mentally or
morally unsound. Sauce for the goose sauce
for the gander, and those who with unctuous
/ Professions or voting as they pray argue that
ofters must sacrifice party to principle should
set worthy example. Such men VIII stultify
themselves If they insist on voting their own
party ticket At elections when they know its
defeat is certain, instead OF voting for worthy
men whose success IS possible. but IA doubt,
and whose triumph will Immediately and de-
eidediy promote the cause they profess 10 love
so intensely aud disirtereste dIy. Candid
brother can you deny any OF teese PROPOSE
tionss
The area under State prohibition to-day in
I the six States Of Maine, New Hampshire, Yer
mont, Rhode Island Iowa and Kansas IS ls5,-
4 GA square miles South Dakota, which con
/ tains about 77,0o0 square miles, put prohibi-
tion into her constitut on, aud would, IL admit
ted, swell the grand total to 262, 9l4 miles. The
4 Democrats, who have kept her out mainly be-
+ cause she is strongly Republican, clam that
/ territory has no right 20 frame State con
4 stitution until after an enabling act has au
/ thorzed il, and therefore II Mr. Cleveland IS
4 reelected. or a Democratic House OF Repre-
I seltattves is chosen, or thst party secures
! control OF the Senate, Dakota Wilt unaHes-
4 tionahly be excluded as long as possi ole,
4 and be required TO frame a H.lr constitution.
+ But the Republicans are committed TO her
/ admission under her present constitution, and
+ VIII surely take her in at the first opportunity
/ Therefore Republ can success in the approach
/ ing election ensures the prompt admission OF
/ another Prohibition State, while Democratic
/ success means an indefinite postponement
4 aud another bitter contest IN the Territory it.
/ self over the question-and votes for the Pro
/ hibiton-woman-sufrage party ticket do not
I count either way.
1 Honest and intelligent Third party men ad-
init that votes for theiI candidates for Presi-
dent, Congress anu legislators who are TO
1 choose United States Senators can not posi-
bly, increase the area OF prohibitory territory a
4 single mile, close a solitary saloon, or secure
i needed leg station, either now or in the imme
/ date future. They also know that votes for
/ certain Republican nominees may drive the
/ liquor business from entire State The
4 voters OF South Dakota demand admission IS
\ matter Of right, under the prohibitory consti-
1 tuition they have adopted and they ask all be-
4 levers in self-gOverument to help them, which
+ request can not be ignored Each Third party
y
prob bltionist must vote, refuse TO vote, for
i the only candidates whose eject on is possible,
who are heartily in favor OF CIV ng effect to the
/ decision OF Dakota against the saloon. He
must choose between accepting this mag
4 nlfcent Prohibition bird already In hand and
/ flock which interested parties predict will.
/ at some vague time in the future. be Matched
/ from a nineteen-year-old barren bird-nest.
/ The castles he builds on moonbeams in the
4 cleaning may be beautiful, but when the
4 the chilling fact VIII creep closer TO his soul
/ that the present effect of his rafusal-if il has
any-ntuSt be TO strengthen the grip OF the sa-
loon on Dakota and prolong its life, with all the
/ dreadful evils that follow from it. FIne-spun
/ theories and whole columns OF ''ifs'' and
/ ''whens' Will not diminish the anguish Of those
! who suffer, because help did not come in time.
/ And when all is over, and the campaign excite
I ment is ended, il will be difficult for candid
4 Prohibtionists, who put party h st and princi-
/ pie last. TO satisfy even themselves that they
4 have done by their Dakota brethren as they
/ would " sh to have been done by If the situa-
/ ton would have been reversed.
/ This is a matter OF great importance to
/ the Prohibtionists of every section, for each
/ State that destroys the saloon business
/ Strengthens the cause everywhere; but IL is OF
/ especial moment to those who live in Mime
i sofa, Iowa and Nebraska. The admission of
/ Dakota with prohibition in her constitution
i will unquestiolably demoralize the friends of
/ the saloon in those adjoining States, ana en-
/ courage and strengthen its enemies. II can
not be necessary to enlarge upon this point,
l for intelligent men will feel its force
4 before it is half stated Yet Minnesota
| Third party men claim that they will
/ east between 10000 and 1000 votes
this year, and expect (and generally hopel that,
/ in consequence, the Democratic saloon party
will sweep the State. Whether not Min
nesota will hold the balance of power no man
knows, but If she does, and Y .kota's appeal
for justice IS rejected AMI the cry Of the vic
Tins of the saloon in her midst for immediate
help is denied the respons b lily viii not rest
/ upon those who did all they could for her and
1 them. II professsd Chr stians Dy poll
i parrot repetition of the cry II vote as / pray"
1 secure the consent of their consciences 10
policy that puts power in the hands OF the devil
4 and his allies, and sacrifices the bodies and
I souls OF Dakota sufferers the altar OF party.
/ zeal {and personal piQue vanity and ambition
then it viii be evident that it is still as unsafe
for good people TO be controlled by an unen-
ghtcned and passion-blinded conscience as
it was in the days when Christians rose from
their knees to burn each other at the stake,
for the glory OF God" When man says, q
am Prohibitionist; l vote as l pray, and
therefore will not help the Dakotas to secure
prohibition he may well ask himself do
really know what pray for ans what vote
for:'
But Dakota is not the only Territory that is
affected. Washington, which is also the
anxious seat, IS Republican, and viii be adj
United il the Republicans succeed, but
Dakotas trials show that a Democratic tri-
umph Will keep her long time in the Con-
gressional ante-room. II permitted to decide
the question next year, she is almost certain
TO put prob ibition into her constitution, but IL
she is excluded until large cities are built and
her mining population greatly increases the re-
suit VIII be more doubtful. Moreover, with
the salooas excluded from Dakota on the East
and Washington on the West, Montana, which
is rapidly filling up with a temperance popula-
tor, and will be ready for admission in two
years, VIII be much more likely TO adopt the
same policy. Indeed, il il is not prev ented by
professed prohibItionists. there is a strong
possibility that the next Presidential canvass
will aud the eatire north Mississippi
country freed from saloon domination
Here, then, IS something practical. 1t is not
high license, local option restriction Of any
kind, but absolute probiO.tio l believe in
prob b.tioa where people are ready for it, and
favor the greatest possible restriction else
where, but the Dakotas have pronounced for
constitutional prohibition for themselves, and,
as it Is Republican doctrine 10 let each State
have The kind OF laws that 1t prefers, their de-
cis;on will be ratified by the Nation-unless
OF prohibition are 1oudest refuse 20 say amen,
Third party mon may befog themselves go on
on tai gents aud side issues put the cart before
the horse. pose as martyrs, or grow ang Y 20
their hearts content, but after all, on election
day ley will find themselves face TO face with
the fact that 10 vote for General Harrison Is TO
vote tor prob b ton in Dakota, while to vote
for Fisk is to consent TO an indefinite prolonga-
lion r 2 the SALON SvStpun in Dakota