The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-08-08
METHOD IN THEIR MADNESS. y

The Prohibition County Convention
proceedings present to the members Of
the older parties some features that were
entirely unlocked for and must necessar-
lily create the suspicion that the Prohi.
bition managers have resorted to those
methods which they openly and persist
emily pro ess to denounce, in the eDemocrat.
ic and Republican parties. The Prohibit
tionists have following liberally rated
at one hundred votes in this city and
about fifty in the country. Ofthese one
hundred members in the city, ninety
came from the ranks of the Republican
party. The country membership has q
larger percentage of apostate Democrats.
Therefore, in order to obtain full vote in
the country and to stiffen the vertebrae
ofthe late converts, who might induce
few of their neighbors to vote the ticket,
it has been deemed advisable, evidently,
to flatter six former Democrats by
awarding them positions on the Prohi-
bition ticket. This scheme il as plain
as the'nose on mans face and it isn't
possible that it will fool the sensible
members of the Democratic party, who
for wears have fought for the principles
Of the Democratic party,-whose record
to-day commands the respect and en-
dorsement Of the enlight encd nations of
the world. Those who desert the ranks
ofthe Democratic party at this juncture,
are not Of the same material as those
who have year after year suffered defeat
and come TO the front undaunted at
each succeeding election. determined to
fight to the last for the restoration of
those principles which are dear to the
heart of every true Democrat.
1t was evidently matter of pride to
few of the members of the Prohibition
convention to allude to what they con-
sidered desire on the part of their
leaders to give way to others who need
cd Office worse than they. But they
were mistaken in their deductions. We
maintain thnt wherever the Prohibition
party is in existence it is kept alive by
former members of the older parties
who failed IN secure an Office during the
years they were connected herewith.
In the SauLhern states, where the Dem
ocrats held the sway for years, and in the
Republican states OF the North, where a
nomination on the. Republican ticke,
was equivalent to NJ eldciiJn, Prohibi-
tion has f9ot-heli, and, we again assert,
keit out OF the morgue by disgruntled
deseiters of the old parties who, while
their parties were in uninterrupted pos
session of the offices, failed to reward
them with thai honor which nine tenths
Of Americans seek as the greatest boon
possible to be awarded-an office. We
do not pretend to say that there are not
connected with this side issue some who
are sincere and earnestly believe that
great moral end can be accompl ished BY
the ascendency ofthe Prob ibition party.
but we do say that the majority of those
connected with this movement. those
whose hands are already visible in shap.
ing ths plan Of campaign, are men who
have no desire other than that of pro.
curing office. And should the Prohibi.
tion party become successful within the
next decade, It's moralists will find that
the ends for which they have labored
have not been accomplished. The poli.
tician will be in possession of the party.
the offices and everything else, for the
great mass of voters cannot be truly con.
verted at one time, especially when their
liberties are interfered with. The Dem.
ocratic party stands inalterably opposed
to legislation which prescribes what a
man shall eat or drink, and those who
cannot endorse that position will find
that they are not eliminating the worst
features Of politics by course directly
counter to the firm principles of Democ.
racy. We are not prepared to say that
the movement made by the Prohibition
party is one that will have a disastrous
effect on the Democratic party in this
county. To the contrary. we believe
that it will cause that party to place the
very best men it can procure upon its
ticket, and IL this is accomplished the
success of the party is assured in this
election and the party strengthened for
the fight in the years to come.
The CHoNrcLR has always treated the
Prohibition party Of this county with the
utmost fairness and respect, and will al
ways continue to do SO, but 1t can no
longer look upon the leaders of the
movement as the zealots of misguided
movement, unacquainted with the
schemes of political Vaccinations, they
have descended to the level of everyday
politicians and as such we propose to
deal with them hAraoffar