Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-02
TEMPERANCE REFORM AND THE
PROHIBITION PARTY.
The Temperance Reform Does Not
Require National Prohi-
bitiOn Party.
Address by Fl. X. Carroll, LII. d., oil
North PIainfieId, New Jersey.

Il
Prohibition Party, in response to q chal-
Ienge to discuss with General Fisk the
following proposition, "Does Temperance
Reform REQUIRE q National Prohibition
Party?n
lfr. Chairman, Ladies and Ge1ltIenlen:--
I am not here tonight as u Politica. par
tisan, nor as an opponent of the princi-
pie of Prohibition. I am firm believer
in Prohibition, and [ would most heartily
join you and march under your political
banner, If 1 could convince myself that
God has reserved to you the task of estab-
fishing Prohibition in this land. most
heartily respect you, for your cause Is the
cause of God and humanity, your courage
is the courage of heroes and your devotion
the devotion of martyrs. Applause.I [
am sorry that cannot add that your wis
dom is the equal of your courage and de-
votion. | am sorry that cannot say that
the vigor of your assault is always against
the foe and not sometimes against friends.
[ am sorry that 1 cannot deny that 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-
plore your intolerance Of hosts of active
and actual foes of the Saloon. It Is be
cause I believe that you have assumed i'm
possible tasks as q condition precedent
TO the achievement of the great object
which your party name stands for; it is
because I believe that the inevitable re-
suit of your 'plan Of campaign" IS 30
divide the friends of temperance reform
and encourage its foes; it Is because [
believe your political policy to be IN
sound, i'm practicable and obstructive-it
is because such are my convictions that l
have accepted the courteous invitation to
come here tonight and discuss, with the
assurance of a fair hearing, the question:
ssThe Temperance Reform Does Not Re-
auire National Prohibition Party"
TIE PURPOSE AND POLICY OF THE PROHIBI-
TON PARTY.
The Prohibition Party proposes but
one legal method OF fighting the Saloon,
and that is Prohibition; and but enc form
of Prohibition, and that is State or FEEDER
al. It has faith in but one way of reach
ing and enforcing this Prohibition, and
thai is by the Prohibition Party. 1t be-
Iieves only in partisan Prohibition. It
has no word of encouragement for non
partisan Prohibition. 1t Is Prohibition
initiated, advocated and enforced by the
Third Party that it wants, ana no ether
will satisfy it. Lest | be accused of mis-
representation here [ will give my author
ity. 1t is found In resolutions passed by
the National Executive Committee of the
Prohibition Party at Chicago, November
5th, 1886. These resolutions declare that
while the Prohibition Party will eco
operate with all movements made in good
faith" to secure the submission of CON
stItutiOnal amendments TO the extent of
signing petitions in favor thereof, and
will cooperate in securing the adoption
of such amendments, experience in the
past has satisfied US that our main work
should be SO enlighten the people and
show them there can be no effeotual
Prohibition of the liquor tariff, even
though ProhibitOry Constitutional
amendments should be adopted, without
a party behind these amendments TO give
them force by the adoption and enforce
ment of appropriate legislation" The
chief organ of the Prohibition Party even
derides non partisan efforts, aud calls
those who are active In these efforts
"Nonnies." Nor has the Prohibition
party room in its platform for any
methods of restriction, where State Pro
hibition is not Immediately available.
1t distinctly discourages Local Option
Thu then is the position of the Pro
hibition Party: Prohibition, State or
Federal, by the Prohibition Party itself,
as its immediate and ultimate aim. And
this is its policy: To discourage all other
sfforts, restrictive or prohibitiye, whether
Republican, Democratic or nOn-partisan.
What chance has the Prohibition Party
on such platform and with such pol
icy, of success? Absolutely none, as it
seems to me; and I will give you some of
my reasons for so thinking.
THE PROHIBITION PARTY ASSUMES TWO IMPos
sIBLE PRELIMINARY TASKS.
In the first place it assumes two almost
impossible preliminary tasks. The over
throw of the Saloon is itself almost an inn
possible task, Sober men cannot cou-
template it in all the fullness of its power
without sudden ebbing of courage, GER
tain 1earful foreboding. The Saloon is
everywhere, and everywhere is a curse. Ii
has more bars than God has affairs; more
priests than God has preachers, and
almost as many schools of infamy as the
public has schools of learning. Its vast
army of patrons are loyal to its interests
and thousands of them hold no virtue too
dear TO sacrifice in its behalf. Consider
also, the enormous capital it commands
its vast volume of business, amounting to
$4,000, 900 yearly, its enormous profits
the wide reach of it's manufacturing in
terests-cousider, say, it's character, its
numbers, its resources, its power of self
propagation and its hold upon humanity
and it must appall the stoutest hearted
and chill the blood of the most sanguine
But, gentlemen of the Prohibition Party
you have not hesitated to plan for your
selves additional or preliminary tasks
which, to everybody but you, must seem
hopeless-I mean the destruction, prao
tically. OF the two Old parties.
You cannot grapple with the Saloor
until you have political power, You can
not have political power unless you car
wrest it from the old parties. To be the
first, instead of the Third Party, yoU
must practically destroy the Republican
Party in the North aud the Democratic
Party in the South. Applause. Let
me remind you that cid established
parties, like the Democratic and Republi
can, are not often or easily killed. You al
remember that az the close of our Civil
War the feeling was quite general tina
the Democratic Party had reached tn,
end of It's history. It had espoused tb,
cause of slavery, it had wRged a bite
and bloody war against the Union an(
the Constitution; and, when the Rebellion
was put down, men said that the Demo
cratic Party fell with the Confederacy
and that its name and organization anC
principles must never be resurrected
That was less than twenty five years ago
Where Is that party to-dsy-lost in tn
history of the fast Wondering past
Nay; but IN the full vigor of life an,
power, holding the reins of the Nations
Government. If slavery and treason an
rebellion vii, not kill party. what hav