The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-02-23

An Argument by DIR. ii. X. Carroll
Against Checking a Great Moral
Work by Making u Subsidiary TO
Party Politics.
The friend who incloses this to the
BANNER says: This is the hest have
seen and ought to be shouted into the
ears of all professional Prohibltionists;
but they wont read anything besides the
The Voice. or listen to any one else than
their own kind. The chairman of their
State committee would not read an ar
tcle of this kind, so you can see how
broad their views must be. ED
| am not here tonight as a political
partisan, nor as an Oponent of the prin-
ciple of Prohibition. am a firm belIev d.
er in Prohibition; and | would most
heartily JON you and march under your
political banner. If could convince my.
self that God has reserved to you the
task of establishing Prohibition in this
land. must heartily respect you, for
your cause is the cause of God and hu-
manity. your courage is the courage of
heroes and your devotion the devotion of
martyrs. [Appiause, l am sorry that
| cannot add that your wisdom is the
equal of your courage and devotion.
am sorry that cannot say that the Wig
or of your assault is always against the
foe and not sometimes against friends.
am prry that | cannot deny chat your
bullets too often strike from behind men
engaged in the forefront of the battle
against the enemy. | admire your i'm
patient intolerance of the saloon. / de-
pore your intolerance of hosts of active
and actual foes OF the saloon. 1t Is be
cause | believe that you have assumed
impossible tasks as a condition preCe-
dent to the achievement of the great OBJ
Ject when your party name stands for;
1t is because | believe that the inev ia
ble result Of-yOur plan of campaign, is
to divide the friends of temperance re-
form and encourage its foes;it is because
| believe your political policy to be un.
sound, impracticable and Obstructive
1t is because such are my convictions
that | have accepted the courteous invi
tation to come here tonight and discuss
with the assurance of fair hearing the
question: The Temperance Reform
Does not Require National Prohibition
Party"
The Prohibition party proposes but
one legal method Of fighting the saloon.
and that is Prohibition; and but one
form of Prohibition, and that is State or
Federal. 1t has faith in but one way of
reaching and enforcing this Prohibition,
and that is by the Prohibition party. 1t
believes only in partisan Prohibition. 1t
has no word of encouragement for non
partisan Prohibition. 1t is Prohibition
initiated advocated and enforced by the
Third party that it wants, and no other
will satisfy IL. Lest | be accused of
misrepresentation here, will give my
authority. 1t is found in resolutions
passed by the National Executive Com.
mittee Of the Prohibition party at Chi
cago, November s, 1886, These resolu.
tions declare that while the Prohibition
party will co. cooperate with all move.
ments made in good faith to secure the
submission of constitutional amend
ments, to the extent of signing petitions
in favor thereof and will cooperate in
securing the adoption of such amend
ments, experience in the past has salts.
fled us that our main work should be 10
enlighten the people and show them
that there can be no effectual Prohibi.
bitlon Of the liquor traffic, even though
Prohibtory Constitutional amendments
should be adopted, without party be.
hind those amendments to give them
force by the adoption and enforcement
OF appropriate legislation The chief
organ of the Prohibition party even de.
rides non partisan efforts. and calls
those who are active in these efforts
'Nonnies. Nor has the Prohibition
party room in its platform for any meth.
DDS of restriction where State Prohibi-
is not Immediately available. 1t dis
tinctly discourages Local Option as be.
ing too local and too optional
This, then, is the position of the Pro.
hibition party: Prohibition, State or Fed.
eral, by the Prohibition party itself, as
its immediate and ultimate aim. And
this is its policy: To discourage all 9th
er efforts, restrictive or prohIbitiye,
whether Republican. Democratic or non
partisan.
What chance has the Prohibition par
ty on such platform and'with such
policy, of SUGGEST Absolutely none, as
it seems to me; and will give you some
Of my reasons for so thinking.
THE TASK BEFORE THE THIRD PARTY.