The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-08-29
A Democratic Annex.

To the Editor Of the JVdtchman:-I
belong to that insignificant sex, which
is conceded no political rights at the
ballot-boX, and is therefore supposed to
have no special interest in political
matters. Nevertheless | am "riled -
all through, and it is politics that has
"riled " me. All my life long have
tried to work for the temperance cause,
and for years have termed myself a
prohibitionist; but l begin to believe l
am not one. If the third-party pro-
hibitionists carry on this campaign to
the end in the spirit they have begun
{, | knOiC | am not that sort of pro-
hibitionist.
| believe in fighting the rum power
with the most effective weapons we
can obtain. Where prohibition is at
tainable, / believe in prohibition; where
it is not, | believe in high license, local
option, or whatever restraining power
we can use to cripple the rum power
the most. When we can not obtain
what we wish to, believe in accepting
the best we can obtain" half loaf is
better than no bread" Great reforms
are not accomplished in an hour or a
day.
- Heaven is not reached at single bound,
We build the steps wherein we rise
If the prohibition heaven is ever
reached in these United States it will
not be by this third-party foolishness,
carried on in the spirit now manifested
by that party. Foran honest democrat l
can have some respect, though | disbe-
lieve very decidedly in his platform and
,Nn1inx,. Int for uh n1oit,c tn no
laboring for the cause of temperance,
who deliberately makes himself the
democratic cat's-paw to pull democratic
chesnuts out of the political fires, /
have no respect. The whole trans
action is so transparent an error or
fraud that l must doubt either his judg-
ment or his integrity.
Not long since some one promulgated
the story that through Mrs. Cleveland
influence the president had become an
abstainer; practical temperance man.
But behold! how quickly his friend
rushes to the rescue. The imputation
of becoming practical temperance
man must not rest upon him for mo-
ment. "The president has not abjured
his lifelong habit" says his friend,
and am very much afraid his friend
tells the truth. Yet under the guise
of working for prohibition our third
party men will cast their votes prac-
tically for this lifelong opponent of
their principles. to defeat a clean,
honest temperance man and Chris
tan statesman like General Harrison.
Verify, consistency, thou art a jewel.''
l have read the leading democratic
paper of Vermont for the last twenty
years, and the whole influence of that
paper, and | might say, the whole in
tluence of the democratic party in Yer
mont, has been in opposition to the pro-
hibitory law and its enforcement, and
no epithet has been too mean and coarse
to apply to those who have had back
bone enough to try to enforce the law.
Will some of our third-party friends
tell us of even one democrat who has
willingly aided in the enforcement of
this law among us? do not claim that
there are no democrats who practice
temperance. But just now, in the
present campaign, it is affecting-or
would be if it wasn't so ludicrous-to
see how the democrats love the prohi-
bitionists. How they cheer them on to
stand up for their party and principles.
1t is even whispered that they give
them more substantial financial aid
and encouragement This they can
well afford to do when, as prominent
democrat stated in print not long since
"four-fifths of the prohibition vote
comes from the republican party"
Consequently every vote for General
Fisk is four-fifths of vote for the man
who four years ago posed as retormer
and has deliberately stultiied himself
on every point and instead of "turn-
ing the rascals out as was the demo-
cratic war cry in 'S4, he has turned out
honest men by hundreds to make room
for hungry and thirsty democratic
rogues But do these facts appall oul
third-party voters? Not at all!
The Woman's Christian Temperance
Union and the prohibition party also
have petitioned for the repeal of the in
ternal revenue tax on Intoxicating
liquors, and it seems to me with good
reason, but the moment the republican
party proposes the same thing, in part
cry 50 free ,chiskey." They know il
does not mean free whiskey,'
but it shows clearly to what straits
our enemy is reduced Tor weapons
to use against the republican party
When General Harrison received tn,
nomination, the democrats said "h'
is a good man enough, but h'
will excite no enthusiasm in tn,
party" BY the time Harrison fla!
fans every democratic cheek in New
England, they may change their mind
The Boston Globe signs "Poor Harri
sonl" l suggest that the Globe bottl
its tears and reserve its signs for it
own candidate. He'll need them mex
November. L. BIB.