Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-24
PROHIBITION AND DEMOCRACY.
= tentineps Report From Hon. George
Clsrk Warning Against Prohibition In
trigues

Clsrk Warning Against Prohibition In
trigues
PART FIRST.
The following letter explains itself:
WACO, TEX + ; IS, 1855.
hon James q. Vincent, Meridian, Tex:
My DEAR SIR am in receipt VI yours
Of the l6 n inst asking my opinion as to
what ought to be doue by the Democratic
party in Texas in the matter Of prohibi-
ton, and hasten to reply.
The result of the election last summer
ought to have sufflced to assure the most
s1Dguine that the principle OF prohibition
w.S heartily detested by the people of
Texas, and could fad no lodgment with
Us as principle Of government; and
with sversg- people sucn result would
hsve been accepted as a fnality
But fanaLicism never stops at
defeat, and TIE course Of pro-
hioitio0ists before and after the election
Indicates most unmIs,ak.oly, even to q
casual observer, that the intolerant spirit
which so seriously threatened our instltu
tions last summer is still abroad in the
land, and aggressive and defiant as ever
1t is true We hear nothing now OF an in
tentioG to ssitGte for Another election
upon The question, and it is becoming
quite fashionable, especially with prohi-
Ol;ionists who want off e, to insist that
prohibition is dead Use ue, and not to be
me ct.Oned in Democratic ci cles; cut all
the while they are crying peace they
sre secretly a. work laying plans
for the ia ure suprem cy Of their
pet idea, and schemiDg for power aud
vengeance. My iufnTmarion from those
VINO ought to know leads me TO believe
that their purpose is to cap'ure aud DOM
mate our party organization, Gictste lts
policy, nominate and elect its representa-
tives, especially its members OF tut Legis-
lature, and thus place themselves IN p ISL
ton to accomplish indirectly some per-
ton Of that w1ica trey SO slgnsllY lost in
their direct appeal to the people LAST year.
Had no direct Information upon the sub
jeCt, the conduct of their CANVASS last
year, and tue acts and expressions Of
their leaders and ORGANS then and since,
would force me to the same conclusion.
The determination OF the issue sub
mitted TO the people by tae Legislature
Deed not have Involved any acrimouy or
threatened in any manner the OIL fel
loWshlp Of the party. II was q simple
proposition to change the form of govern
meut, and every T,xan had not only q
right TO determine his own course, but
high duty was devolvsd upon MIN tn do
80, Tor ne WAS acting as z sovereign. Yet
the annals of political warfare do not
furnish a parallel to the methods EN-
ployed by the parTisSns Of this so-called
grand moral upheaVEl. A system u
moral terrorism WAS insugursted before
the campaign fairly opened. Whole
communities were aWed by clerical
threats. rhe weSk were intimid.ted, the
strong csj LED, the pious eIhorted, the
wicked h4ttered snd caressed
Upon the announcement Of ny citiz n
mat his cow lctions were against the ad-
vlsa0ilLy Of the measure, his motives
were assaulted, his integrity questions d,
Snd ne was denounced as the associate of
v4gsbond5 and sympsthiz3r With vice
and immortality. Democrats VINO had
wandered # ftOm the parry teachings
and Iined IL this hideOus crusade,
tainted other Dem CrsLS who rGmsined
faithful To the principles and traditions
of the party IS renegades and disorgan-
Iz-rs, the es Of sUciety aDd Of goud
morals aud government. Such utter
apces and abuse naturally provoked re-
seDimenL aud TetalIstiOn in our ranks,
aud the election left US with divided D, IL
ocrAtic couUsels and spirit OF Gig
cord in the parry presagtng nothing
but evil II permitted to cortiuue.
prompt and manly acq1iescen &c IN the
result on the part Of the prOhioitionists
would have tended very greatly 10 relieve
the party from lhis embarrassed condition.,
and to 81 ay all hostility on the part of
those who gathered victory; out II seemed
that such reasonable concession was not
down on the programme. Their organs
and spe .kers mad declared throughout the
CANVASS that prOhi 9ilion was here to stay,
and we often heard II announced that if
the Dem cratic party had to be whisky
party they washed their hands of democ-
rscy. These utter4nces might have been
overlooked as the idle vaporings OF Shall
10 w. pated psrtisans In the midst OF
heated campaign hsd not the action o! the
prohibition * cntlve committee given
them fl isl Col fl nation after the strug-
gle was over ana they had regaiued their
reason, if that were possible. This com
miItee met IN secret consultation IN TINS
city only few DAYS sfrer the election and
resolved to keep up their organization.
Why this should hsVs been done, II pro-
hloltion wss dead issue, am at IS
to determine. The opposing committee
WAS disoanded promptly the day after the
election, because the purpose Of its or
g,niz.tioh had been accomplished. TIE
prohibition committee lot only is con
t1nugd in existence, having on its rolls
many members claiming to be Demo
crats, but months after the election, as l
observed in the public prints, this COM
mittee was ct work commissioning per-
sons to travel ard canvass In the interest
OF "gosp-l temperance" Whatever that
is, and commencing them to the faith
full as devoted friends OF prohibition.
Their newspaper organs continued to
mark for destruction every prominent
man who opposed them, and many OF
them in every issue TEEN with personal
abuse Of their opponents, SO il the contest
was still raging with undated fury. Why
all this If prohibition is oesd? WAy
hould the war continue II the question
has been finally settled snd there is no
purpose to revive 1t in isome shape or
otheI7 II We are 70 believe the profes-
sions Of some who, for purposes OF taeir
OWL, do not wish the QUESTION sgitated,
all is peace within the party, and yet the
rattle of nusketry in the Prohibition
Democratic camp betokens lively shi'm-
ish of some kind going on, and some
| NJ the huIletR are coming over our way.