River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-10-11
Wayside Jottings-Politica and Other
wise.

1t is absolutely essential to the con.
tinued existence of the Prohibition
party that its adherents should believe
that it has fair show of becoming
the dominant national party within a
reasonable period of time. There
would be no excuse for its presence in
the field of politics except on this as
sumption. Let its rank and file come
to believe that there is no probability
of such result occurring within the
present century, and the party would
crumble to pieces in year. 1t there
fore behoves the leaders and organs of
the party TO make the most favorable
showing possible out of the election
returns.
But their attempt to derive comfort
and enthusiasm from the vote in Yer
mont and Maine would be ludicrous,
if it were not pitiful to see intelligent
men and women trying to deceive
themselves and others by methods so
puerile. Look at Maine: 1t is needless
to deny that each party did its level
best in the recent campaign. The
Democrats did not expect to elect
their ticket, but did expect, and filled
the air with boasts to that effect, that
they would so reduce the Rep. major
ity that in its effect ON the country it
would be equivalent to a defeat of
that party, The Republicans would
have been glad to be assured of $4,000
plurality, and now with plurality of
more than $1,000 clean majority of
over 13,000--and an almost clean
sweep of everything from constable
to governor, they can we'll afford to
let the other fellows get all the solace
possible from this condition OF things,
il it were only possible for these to
stick to the truth about the matter.
And now see the performance of the
P. P. After being in the field twenty
years. under the most favoring envi-
ronments, they actually polled 1921
votes in an aggregate of 145,4l5,--in
round numbers l in so, and have gain
ed in four years the enormous mere
nNent of 9Sl votes! And in view of
such a result they clap their hands
and dance about like a parcel of chill
dren at a candy-pull. Does it seem
credi BILE that from results like this, in
telligent men can predicate the tri-
umph of this organization!
And while ON this point, would
like to inquire of my prohibition
friends who have left the Rep. party
because it was not sufficiently radical,
whether the course pursued by the
liquor interest in relation to these two
parties is not very suggestive on this
question of the domination of the P.
z. The measures proposed by the p.
P. relating, to the liquor traffic, are I'M
doubtedIy more radical and destruc-
tive in character than anything the
Rep. party proposes, at least for the
present. The saloon then would have
more to fear from the p. Z. than
from the Reps. if it believed its pur-
poses were to be fulfilled. Now it is
certain. beyond controversy, that the
saloon is greatly more afraid of the
Reps. than of the other; insomuch
that it exhibits the utmost willing
ness to aid the P. p, to increase its
numbers and enlarge its influence,
which it stands to reason it would not
do, did the saloon believe the 2. p.
would ever have the ability or oppor-
tunity of carrying out its intentions;
and we all know that in matters affect
ing its interests the saloon is wide-a-
wake and a good judge of who are its
friends, and of whom to be afraid.
Il. p.