The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1888-07-18
THE AMENDMENT AND
PARTIES.
CHARLESTON, w. VA,
July 10, 1888.

There are two apparent argu-
ments against our putting prohi.
bition party ticket in the field in
this State.
The first is that it will create
confusion. Some people will think,
or will be made to believe, that in
order to vote for the Amendment
they will have to vote our ticket.
But the Ants can and will dupe
such fellows whether we have
State ticket or not.
The second argument is that q
ticket will irritate many and lead
them to vote against the Amend.
ment. 1t is by no means certain,
however, that keeping a ticket out
of the field would secure the votes
of such persons. There are better
ways to bring them to time than by
purchasing their votes with our
silence.
On the other hand, there are some
real arguments for putting full
ticket in the field and standing ag-
gressively by it. We deem the
rapid growth and speedy triumph
of the National Prohibition Party
of even more consequence than the
success of the Amendment in West
Virginia, and it is our duty to but
tress the National organization and
ticket by as full and com pact State
organization as possible. In view
of the fact now thoroughly demon
strated, that neither of the old par
ties will ever endorse Prohibition,
the necessity and duty of building
the new party is made doubly
clear.
Again, it becomes clearer every
day that we shall need the party in
this State to enforce the Amend
ment if adopted. And the party
will be of much use in that direc-
ton even without being in posses
sion of the Offices or without being
very large. We want some way, at
least, to make it dangerous for the
old parties to put up their whisky
men to fill the offices. Even il our
ticket does now and then occasion
the election of whisky man, it
much more certainly secures the
nomination and consequent election
of many temperance men and Pre-
hibitionists. To suggest that we
leave our ticket out of the field lust
this once, is to suggest that we give
up the vantage ground we have.
which would be much harder to re-
gain than many think.
Finally, agair st the fears of our
friends and the ungenerous criti-
cisms and charges of our Prohibit
tion party enemies, / contend that
we need the ticket to help carry
the Amendment. Party Prohibi-
tionists will have to do nearly all
the work, and they can work under
less suspicion and with more free
dom and influence, when they
stand untrammeled on their own
platform.
A ticket will also tend to keep
down opposition. The old parties
will be more careful as to what
they put in their platforms. The
Wheeling Register and ImteIJaqencer
and other papers will be more care
full how they fight the Amendment
when there's such immediate dam
ger of driving men out of their
parties into ours. Old party men
will not be 30 apt to take the stump
against the Amendment when
there's door open in the shape of
ticket to welcome their disguised
Prohibition hearers. And even the
saucy amendment stabber" will
probably conclude that he can
neither scare nor hurt anybody,
and that the only possible way to
cut the nerve of the "Thlrd Partyn
is to help carry and then help en-
force the Amendment.
One thing is sure, the members
of the Prohibition Party have more
interest, have given ten times more
thought, and know ten times bet
ter what they are about than any.
body else. Let them GO ahead and
do their duty. r. G. JOHNSON