The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-10-30
no MR.. 7. R. CARSKADON
An Open Letter Addressed to the
Third Party Candidate.
A FORMER WEST vIRGINIAN
And a Prohibltionist Asks Some
Questions of the Third Party
Championship "Ncw aud
Better Party's" Mission.

for GOreFn0r OF West PiyiHid;
DEAR Sm:-Ipresume lam indebtedt,
, you for copy Of The freeman containing
your address to the people of West Vir
ginia, in the character OF candidate o
the Prohibition party for the Office o
Governor. As l was once q citizen o
Y your State, / feel a great interest in it
welfare, and authorized to consider my
self one OF those whom you have nd
, dressed. Idesire to address you in turn
stating as briefly as may some reasons
| why your political course does not re
ceive my appreciation, and why / car
not congratulate you upon the bonol
bestowed upon you by your political
friends. 1 need not assure that, per
sonally, you have my highest esteem,
and that l always rejoice in hearing ol
your personal good fortune by political
preferment or other. Knowing the
qualities of your great and generous
heart, l am confident you will not mis-
take political criticism for personal dis.
favor. Twenty years ago ! was Re-
publican in your State, and with what
ability | then possessed worked with
you for the success of that great party.
! We agreed then that it's snccess was the
salvation OF our State and Nation.
Through that great party, during the
twenty.four years arsnextpreceeding March
8, 1855, has come all the legislation which
has made US first among the nations Of
the earth. During all that time it never
advocated principal not in harmony
with the best interests OF our whole
country, righteous government and the
morality Of her citizens. Time has
always proven
THE TRUTH OF ITS PRINCIPLES,
and her enemies have never failed to
give them their subsequent approval.
There has never been, and there is not
now, any reform demanded by the inter-
ests of our country which has not been,
or cannot now be, more speedily and
successfully accomplished by and
through its organization than without
and independent of 1t. My dear sir,
you cannot, and no one can or does now
deny, that the splendid political achieve
ments OF this party from first to last
the emancipation OF the slaves, the adop-
ton OF manhood suffrage, the award OF
equal civil rights, the payment OF honest
debts in honest money, and SO on
through the whole line OF political and
moral ttiumphs down to the time when
the pigmy Of prohibition smote the
giant in the house OF its friends in 1884,
and handed over the result OF these
achievementstoth thepart which opposed
them all-have resulted in establishing
in our country higher and better civ
ilization than exists elsewhere on the
earth, or has ever existed in. the history
OF nations.
You want to destroy the drink evil by
incorporating into the, Constitution Of
your State clause prohibiting the man
ufacture, sale and use OF intoxicating
LIQUORS therein. That this is an object
worthy OF your ambition, and greatest
efforts, am bound to admit. But are
you not mistaken as to the best means
OF accomplishing this most desirable
end? Are you in earnest when you say
that it is an object OF such pressing need
and OF such q moral and religious char
acter, that to accomplish it it is neces-
sary to call forth from both the old par
ties all the moral forces within them
and THUS generate" and "unify" them
into a political party whose sole object
shall be to overthrow the "liquor
crime?" To accomplish this you pro-
pose to initiate that "bold reformer,"
Brick Pomeroy, (and l am sure he will
be ever grateful to you for that appella-
tion) in jumping from party to party, al
ways charging the one latest left with
all the ills which altlict our civilization,
joining him finally in the formation OF a
'Public DeceuCy Party" into whose sa-
cred ranks none are to be admitted ex-
cept those "who love God and sympa-
thtze with humanity" My dear sir,
permit me to say here that / would have
thought that your regard forthe feelings
of those OF your friends who cannot see
as you do, and who must needs
REMAIN IN THE OLD PARTIES,
would have restrained you from giving
public attention to such purpose, for you
cannot expect us to enjoy being regarded
as politically indecent by one who has
attained notoriety which has made
him conspicuous candidate for the Of
fee Of Governor OF great State. At the
risk OF being considered impertinent, /
will here commend little caution, for
since tho world was, those who have
stepped out from the ranks OF their fel-
lows, and wrapped about them the man
lie Of self righteousness with the air OF
~ am holier than thou, have been uni
iormly followed with scorn and derision.
Great reforms are never accomplished
by such those only succeed who work
with practical instrumentalities, and ac-
Cept such results as mayb accomplished
Thereby. AS the most speedy and prac-
tical method Of accomplishing the re-
form you desire, you form new party,
make Prohibition the sole issue, and
stalk abroad over the mountains OF your
State hurting maledictions into the face
Of all those who will not join you, and
bv these means you expect to win.
Let us see. Out OF l30,95 who voted
fo1 ConEressmen two years ago, 1892
voted for prohibition candidates. 4 little
over one per cent therefore OF the en-
| tire numDef OF HOleIb WeIC pIuHlultlOu-
ists then, OF the equality who believe in
the efficacy OF a Prohibition party. In
the midst Of political campaign now,
| in which loyalty to the old parties will
operate in the mind OF the voter with
ten.iold the force it did two years ago,
surrounded by this one per cent, you go
forth TO conquer the 90! And this Is
the means you resort to to accomplish
within your State one Of the greatest
and most pressing reforms OF modern
times, and which, II not accomplished,
will leave your State, Judging from your
address to the people( overwhelmed with
drunkenness, crime and every form OF
leprousyl Do you wish the outside
world to believe that there are no good
prohihitlonists among the III, ,463 Demo-
Gratis and Republicans Of your State who
two years ago refused to separate them
selves from their old party organizations
to vote for prohibition candidates for
CongressP Most certainly you do not;
vet this is the logic OF your position.
When a political party fOrmulates its
creed II Is not usually expected that the