River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-08-16
THE THIRD PARTY.
An Earnest Man Who Firmly Be-
lieves That the Republican Party is
Good Enough for Him.

| GOOu EuOuSu lOI f1ilu.
Iowa State Register: "Why don't
you join the third party! l thought
you were prohibitionistl" exclaim-
ed a Jealous young brother TO me the
other day. Let me answer my ardent
young friend and all Others like him.
Like yourself, have supposed l was
prohibitionist. I suspect / was one
before yOu were born. No saloon
keeper where have lived for the last
thirty years has doubted it. No en-
envy of the saloon who lived in my
community ever questioned it. | have
run the whole gauntlet of stones,
knives, pistols, and threatened hang
ings, dr0wnings, and burnlngs with
the usual ''tar, feathers and rail" ac-
compartments. For six years /
fought with the "beasts" of that mod
ern ''Ephesus" where Haddock fell.
l was so orthodox" prohibitionist
that the first third party conven-
ton that ever met in Iowa made me
its candidate for gevernor--in my alb
sence and without my knowledge
and didn't back down from the race.
The third party kept up its fight until
the Republican party agreed to sub
NIT prohibitory amendment to
vote of the people of Iowa. This
hand wrote the resolution that went
into the platform, and when that reso-
luton carried / nominated Sherman
for governor in the convention, and
Immediately proclaimed to the Prohi-
bitionists of Iowa that the time had
come for every temperance man to
rally to the
SUPPORT OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY,
both on account of its attitude on the
question of temperance, and also be-
cause of the fact that the saloonists
all over the state were repudiating
the party for giving us a chance to
vote upon the saloon question. The
result was an overwhelming majority
for prohibition followed by the enact
ment of the best, and, in the main,
the best enforced prohibitory law or
this planet; and to-day the Republi
can party is the prohibition party in
Iowa.
Instead of Prohibitionists of Iowa
now stultifying themselves by going
back upon the party that has done so
much for our cause, we are hoping
and believing that the "sober second
thought" of our brethren in other
states will lead them to do as we have
done. We did not flight" the Repub-
lican party, as these modern third
party champions are doing. We
pressed the claims of our homes and
our hearts upon the politicians, and
fought only the saloon. So that,
when we were able TO command the
attention of the party, 1t had not been
made our enemy by our abuse and viii
LITIGATION. Not so these modern third
party evangelists. Their chief
''organ" having copperhead editor
of "Confederate" proclivities, spews
out more venomOus screed against the
Republican party than it has shown
toward the saloons and the devil and
the Democratic party altogether
That which makes cOpperheads and
traitors hate the Republican party
should and will make true and loyal
citizens. Ponder well before casting
a vote where it will inevitably
strengthen and perpetuate the power
of the party that is the ally both Of
the rebel and the soloonkeeper. Fur
thermore, | may as well say right
here that when the third party con-
vention nominated ex-rebel Gen.
Brooks for vice-president it "reckOned
without its host" or rather, it reck-
oned itself out of a "host" of votes
that it otherwise might have secured.
Men may pirate as they like about IRE
viving old animosIties" and about
''forgiving" and all that, I can and
will forgive any ex-rebel
WHO REGENTS OF HIS TREASON,
but forgiveness does not compel me
| to vote for him for an Office that no
ex.traitOr ought ever be nominated to
fill. Every man in the rebel army
who had sense enough to be general
ought to have been "fixed" so that
neither the unrepentant rebels of the
South nor the shOrt-sighted Prohibi-
tionists of the North should have a
chance to vote for him. They should
have been disfranchised and some of
their shining lights hung before
the third party was hatChed. Anoth-
er thing: The Democratic party are
already laying plans and raising mon
ey to help "boom" the third party
Prohibition ticket in all the doubtful
states. This suggestive fact has leak
ed out from their highest councils. The
saloon and whiskey rings will come
down" handsomely to aid this boom,
because, if only big enough, the Dem
ocratic party, with its saloons and
hoodlums, will rule the country four
years longer. When the devil wants
thing right bad, don't want 1t at
all. When he begins to encourage
and cooperate in any measure, how
ever sacred, we want to forecast lit
tie; otherwise 1.-the very elect" may
become his tool for scuttling the onl!
ark Of safety for loyalty, virtue ant
human atonement that can possibl,
reach the harbor of success. Harri
son and Morton are men whose names
whose political and moral characters
and whose popularity with the non
saloon eleme ut all conspire to affor'
to thoughtful men the surest guaran
tee of the safety of the cause in thei
hands. The "Boutelle resolution
commits the Republican party to act
i've hostility to the saloon curse.
THE ORGANS OF THE WHISKY RINGS
so interpret it. and are rallying thei