Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-27
THIRD PARTY FOLLY.
A dREAT LETTER BY A LEADING
METHODIST CLERGYMAN.
Rev. DR.. Dorchester Tells Why, as a
Temperance Man, He Remains
II Republican.

u Republican.
Rev. DR.. Dorchester, one of Che greatest
lights of the Methodist Church at the
East, has published an open letter upon
the question of third party at the present
time, and the duty of Temperance voters in
the matter of casting their ballots in the |
line of intelligence and conscience at the |
approaching election, His letter is at
tracting wide attention and will be read |
with deep interest by members Of all
church denominations upon this coast. DR..
Dorchester was Chairman Of the Temper
ance Committee of the late General Con-
ference, and formulated the report on
Temperance made to that body He dis
cusses the reasons that impel him to re-
main member of the Republican party,
and closes his letter by saying that in this
campaign he IS for Harrison and Morton.
When man Of commanding ability and
sterling character like Dr. Dorchester
speaks, the influence of his words will not
be nullifed by the party sneers of cheap
men.
Following is full abstract of the letter
referred to:
TO an Intelligent Public; Many inquiries
have been propounded to me during the
past three months, a few of which desire
to answer in this letter
/ First am asked why, as temperance
reformer, | remain in the Republican
| party, while other temperance people have
| left it? / answer:
l. am not aware that many temper
ance people have left the Republican
party Not per cent. in 1884, went into
| the third party, and probably 80 per cent.
| Of all in the North who favor the more
radical Temperance measures are now in
| the Republican party. 1t is not likely to
be SO lonesome a place for temperance peo-
pie as the third party. prefer to remain
in the old ranks and work with the greater
mass of temperance people, who are more
concerned to promote temperance than TO
build up party. That the solid temper
ance sentiment Of the Northern States is
in the Republican party, Notwithstanding
it has not done, and cannot at once do, all
that over-sanguined agitators ask it to do,
| will proceed to show.
.. The only Prohibition States-Maine
New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island,
Iowa and Kansas-are reliable Republican
States.
3. The portions of the aforesaid States
where prohibition is well enforced are the
parts which are most strongly Republi-
can.
4. The localities in the North where no
license prevails, under local option, are
almost wholly Republican.
5. Where license prevails under local
option, the great bulk of the no-license vote
is cast by Republicans.
6. In the States where heavy tax laws"
have been enacted against the saloons, be-
cause it was felt that public sentiment
would not enforce prohibition, this aggres-
slve move for temperance has been led and
sustained chiefly by Republicans, who will
gladly hail still more radical measures
when the people are ready for them.
Z. To that extent that, in the North, the
Republicans have a sufficiently controlling
influence, the saloons disappear or are seri-
ously crippled. There are some sad excep-
tions, but not numerous.
8. The present Maine law was given to
that State by Republicans in 1858.
+ 8. In New Hampshire and Vermont, as
we'll as in Maine, the original "Maine
laws" by the influence of Republicans,
have been kept on the statute books ever
since they were enacted.
10. All the most radical temperance
legislation in the North, for third Of a
century, has been proposed and enacted by
Republicans.
II. In Congress the only members who
, have assailed the liquor traffic and at
, tempted measures against it, with the ex.
ception of Messrs. Colquitt, of Georgia,
and Reagan, of Texas, have been Republi-
> cans.
r. The constitutional prohibitory
, amendments are favorite measures of Re
/ publicans. In the twenty Northern Legis-
7 latures where these amendments have
r been acted upon, Republicans proposed
j them, championed, sustained and voted
Q for them.
+ Is. My chief concern in this matter is
to help the cause of temperance, which
! think can be done more effectively and
/ more widely in the Republican party than
! in the third party. So far as | can Judge
q after long, close and candid observation
n there is more practical, effective work tc
Q promote the cause of temperance among
o the ardent temperance men in the Repub
lican party than in the third party. where
the preponderating aim of the leader;
seems to be to build up party autonomy
And ] think the chances for the solution
of the temperance problem are fifty -folc
e better in the old party of great achieve
q ments than in the third party, which
II after twenty years of extravagant prom
/ ises, has no practical temperance results t(
: show.
d IA. l advise those who have gone out O
/ the Republican party, because impatien
q on account of slow temperance progress
d to return and strengthen the cause within
II the old lines, now so rapidly advancing.
Second am asked if l was not disap
o pointed in the temperance plank of the
: National Republican Convention thi.
1t year? Not at all.
l. Party platforms are often merely con
IS venient makeshifts, deftly shaped, for pop
is ular effect. This is notably the case with
the third party utterances on the woman:
r suffrage question in 1884, and its tame
e quasi-expressions on other topics this year
: 2. With a consistent, reliable, lifelong
< temperance man like General Harrison a.
It our candidate, we have the largest and
best kind OF temperance plank.
3. 1t should be kept in mind that this i.
the first time either of the two great par
a ties have said anything in favor of tenn
e perance in their national platforms.
/ 4. We could not reasonably expect that
the first utterance of National Conven
!, tion upon SO complex question would b,
d of the most radical character. In tht
o language of General Harrison, "it is no
It SO much the length of the step which il
taken, as the direction"
, 5. The plank adopted by the Conven
/ ton, when broadly and discriminatingly
o viewed, is evidently wise and strong for
o national body.
II 6. While our national platform ha
been silent until this year, almost every
year and for many years the Republican
State Convention platforms have contained
d emphatic temperance declarations.
IS Z. The work of enforcing the liquor law
IS has intellectually advanced within decade
# By law and order leagues and other agen
d cies and whoever does anything in thi
h line of action bat Republicans?
e Third-Would it not be better to have
e political party distinctly committed to {
5 temperance policy and to its enforcement
Il By no means.
. l. They do not duly consider that thii
Is r,rohlap, bas al