The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1888-01-11
THE AMENDMENT BAT.
TIE.
Parties and Policies VigOr-
OusIy Discussed
nv John Lloyd Thomas of
Baltimore.
Ed. FREEMAN !;

ED. FREEMAN;
The spirit moves me. A few
words to old partisans who propose
TO sell Amendment votes, the COD,
sideration being the withdrawal of
the Prohibition party from the
field. and a brief exhortation to our
dear friends, like good brother Sui
liyan, who in their patriotic zeal
for the Amendment are UNIV isely
suggesting trade by which they
propose to give their votes for Rum
parties, platforms and candidates
in return for promises (of doubtful
valued, of Amendment ballots.
NV text is found in McCreery's
epistle in the Raleigh linden, in these
words:
"The Prohibition Amendment is
the PEOPLES MEASURE caps please,
and should be deal: with as such,
irrespective of political party affili-
alton. LET EVERY MAN VOTE FOR
HIS PARTY CANDIDATE and at same
time vote for or against the
Amendment as he may desire"
Now, brethren, | remark first
The Prohibition Party is political
partu, as much so as the Repub-
lican or Democratic party (unless
whisky is considered an essential
concomitantO and superior to eth.
er of the others in that it alone has
platform of principles, on which
issue is squrely made, and without
which party is after all only an
organized mob.
The Prohibition Party will have
National and State candidates in
the field, the only candidates repre-.
senting principles vitality essential
to the lives and general welfare of
the people in State and Nation.
Prohibition partisans will be I'M
true to themselves, their principles,
their country and their God, if they
for any reason withdraw their sup
port from the candidates nomina-
ted by the only party which stands
and champions all these to-day.
1t is brazen effrontery that de-
mands that we should forsake the
only Party which openly befriends
the Amendment, the peoples
Measure" and claims our support,
for one of the old parties, neither
OF which has kind word or offers
the slightest support to the "Peo-
pies measure, which, says Mr. Nc
Creepy, is "to the best interests of
the State"
Wherefore, brethren, I say in the
words of my text "Let, every man
Especially Prohibitionist vote
for has party candidate, and at the
same time vote for or against the
Amendment as he may DESIRE"
Secondly This is "Non-par-
tlSan question:" and neither Demo
Gratis, Republicans nor Prohibition
lists should "precipitate the
Amendment into the filthy pool of
partisan politics." [vide Dorchester.
Merrill, Thompson, Ferguson et.at j
by demanding or conssnting to the
withdrawal of any politica. party
or its candidates in order to carry
favor for or against the Amend
ment. 1t is true the Prohibition
party will probably declare for the
Amendment in its platform. Sure
~ the Keyssr Echo will not object
to this, as in 1885 it urged similar
action upon the Republican party,
saying that noncommittal atti.
tude was wrong" would prove it a
"convictionless, policy-governed
coward, and would result in the
whisky side forcing declaration
favorable to them, and in driving
out OF its ranks the moral and re-
llglous element"
The Amendment not a Party
Issue.
Surely also, such a declaration
would not be partisan crime te
be punished by the friends of the
Peoples measure" But it should
be thoroughly understood that the