Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-09-07
THE THIRD PARTY.
A LETTER TO OLD FRIENDS.
GOOD READING FOR THE PROHIBITIONIsTs
OF NORTH CAROLINA
Henderson Gold Leaf.

The organization and attitude OF
the Third or Prohibition party in this
State calls for serious consideration
from. those us who have been identi-
fed with.all the movements looking to
the abolition of the liquor traffic that
have taken place during the past sew
eral years. [ have given no subject
more thought that Of temperance
and prohibition. and for the past sew
eral months | have been intensely
concerned about the position which
those desiring prohibition should take
with regard to the Third party that l
saw was coming South with its organi-
zation and work. Frequently have l
talked with the late lamented John b.
Finch. chairman of the National Pro
hibition Committee, and with John
n. Stems, Secretary of the National
Temperance society, and many older
leading men about what to me was
the peculiar situation of the Prohibi-
tionists ofthe South With few excep
tons the temperance men of the
South that have fought its battles and
built up the sentiment for Prohibition
which we find to-day entertain the
same views that [ do, and that is, the
organization of the Third party in the
South is unwise and dangerous-not
only to the cause of Prohibition, but
to Our civil and political institutions.
Local option is not all that we want.
The law as it now stands is crude and
imperfect and therefore its operation
difficult. But local option, with all
its faults, has proven blessing to those
communities where it has been faith
fully tested, and with OUR population
it is our only hope. And the large
sections ofNorth Carolina under pro-
hibition today are so because of local
option and special Legislative enact
ment for schools, churches, sc.
If the question was prohibition or
license the position of the temperance
people would be Gear but there can
be no doubt in the mind Of any one
as to the result of the present organ
ization of the Third party IN North
Carolina. A large majority of the
voters will come from the Democratic
party, and just so far as the vote Of the
Third party increases, the strength Of
the Democratic party decreases. So
that, the question for each prohibi
ZIONIST to decide now is this:
Which political party do l prefer
to have in power in North Carolina
the Democratic or Republican?
With either rs \ POLITICAL PAR
rY we will have the saloons We
know that, and therefore it is a choice
Of which party, with the saloons, the
prefer. There can be |
40 hope of ejecting Mr.. Walker or
any Of the Third party candidates.
So that we are to have the saloons
AFTER the election as we have them
low.
but four years from now we viii |
come into power, - some Of the Third |
party men tell US.
Upon what ground this is believed |
cannot possibly see Whenever
hose opposed to prohibition hni an
OF any magnitude
against them they will come together
n one effort, as they did in 1881, and
he result is easily stated
Our only hope, I repeat, is through
ocal option in reaching those local.
les that we can control.
1 commenced voting in State and !
National politics in 1870. My rea-
on for voting the Democratic ticket