Daily Kennebec journal., 1888-11-01
How Third Partyism Injuries the TEN
perance Cause.

Not long since Rev. DIR. Deems Of New
York addressed a personal letter to Rev.
DIR. John I. Duffield Of Princeton College,
New Jersey, in favor Of the Third Party
as the best way to promote Prohibition.
The reply Of DIR. Duffield was as able and
practical as it was calm and convincing.
For example, there is local option law in
New Jersey, which if allowed to be fairly
tried, L. likely to close the saloons in all
counties where there Is a majority favor
able to prohibition. Since DR.. Duffield
wrote his letter, four counties have voted
against the saloons under this law. In
counties where majority Of the voters
are not in favor Of prohibition, and where,
consequently, prohibitory law would
be imperative, the law imposes such re-
-trictions on the traffic a. are calculated
to reduce it, evils. The liquor sellers
recognize the fact that the saloons are
doomed If this Law stands, and they are
accordingly making a desperate effort to
secure a majority in the next Legislature
favorable to repeal. The practical ques
ton TO New Jersey voters therefore is.
Shall the existing law be repealed or sus-
tanned: DIR. Duffield says:
"On such an issue it might be supposed
that all who have any just sense of the evil
Of intemperance, the iniquty of the rum
traffic and the necessity for prohibitory law
for its suppression. would be found, through
out the canvass and at the ballot box, united
To a man in earnest effort to sustsin the law.
Were this the case there would be little rea-
son for apprehension as to tile result The
1epl0rable fact, however, is, the law is i'm
periled by the act of the men who-as you
say-'are committed to the earnest prosecu-
ton Of the work of destroying the traffic in
intoxicating beverages. The rumsellers
main hope of success is the Prohibitory par
ty. Under these circumstances, can you
my dear brother, on reflection say that it is
my duty to cooperate with that partyI We
are frequently reminded nowadays by our
Prohibitionist brethren that we should vote
As we pray Pardon me for asking, do you
pray-can any one, Republican or Democrat,
I'rohibitionist or anti Prohibtionist, pray
that the Law in regard to the rum traffic now
on the statute book of New Jersey may be
citizen who is in favor of prohibition to vote
in the way that will be the most effectnal to
prevent the repeal of the law? II SO, would
not the voting the Prohibition party ticket be
a failure to do his duty"
DR.. Deems in his letter took the ground
that prohibitory legislation cannot be Sc
cured except by party organized for
that special purpose. DR.. Dufileld con
croyerts this by showing that prohibitory
laws were enacted in l6 States before
| 1869 the year in which the Prohibition
party was organized, and that in the II
States in which, since that date, local OPP
tion prohibitory laws have been adopted,
the Prohibitory party can have but little
to do with these results, as in these 10
States 1t polled only ,57s votes out of IA
total of 3,205, ,52i. DR.. Dufiield proceeds
with the following unanswerable argu-
ment:
"The only effect of the party as factor
in politics, in the Northern States, has been
to draw off votes from the party to which
we are mainly indebted for prohibto7y leg
. lstttDH dlhl iUus ettVt lnt cdH-
didates of the party avowedy opposed to
| prohibtory legislation. The Prohibition
party is therefore not help but hindrance
to the cause of prohibition That it is in
expedient is the deliberate and expressed
| judgment of the great mass of pronounced
/ prohibtionists of the country The state
ment has recently been published that an
examination of statistics made by the presi-
dent Of the State Temperance Alliance Of
Iowa shows that not more than one in forty
of the prohibtionists of the country are
members of the prohibition party"
Reasonable and practical Temperance
people see at glance what their duty Ia.
II enough professed friends of Temper
anCc overlook the facts of the existing
situation and vote for Third Party candi-
dates, the supporters of the saloon will
be elected and liquors again dow unre-
sfrctcd