St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-08-30
THE THIRD PARTY POSITION
AS Stated by Rev. Il. p. Frost of St
Johnsbury.


Aug. 81, Rev. T. P. Frost makes some
statements concerning the position of
the third party prohibitionists, called
out by an editorial on the third party
in the Monitor. Following are some
extracts from the letter =
There are many party prohibition
lists whose principal aim and greatest
hope is to force the prohibition issue
into politics, and thus make it una
voidable for the American people to
meet it squarely, and settle it on it's
own merits.
We would be as willing to have the
triumph of prohibition come by the
republican party or by the democratic
party as by third party. We care
very little which party shall die as a
sacrifice to this issue. We do not re-
gard it as absolutely necessary for the
prohibition party to become a majority
party in order to make saloon or anti
saloon the issue in American politics.
Cannot the eagle eyed republican par
ty see another way7 Is not the plum
ed knight from prohibition Maine able
to point out that way?
A few words concerning the con-
stitutiOnal rights of state and national
government. Vast territories are soon
To- be admitted as states. The same
constitutional right which could once
say, ''no slavery for a new state"
might now say, no saloon for any new
state. Moreover, national legislation
and national judicial decision might
remedy the evils of interstate traffic
which are now sOrely felt in the Dor
der towns of every prohibition state.
And as constitutional amendments to
remove the curse of slavery came at
last, so constitutional amendments to
crush the saloon might come in due
time.
But it is urged that even then law
would not be enforced. 1t is
charged that unless we "wOuld do bet
ter in great prohibition than 1--WE dO) in
small prohibition-the work would go
slow under government supervision"
The writer had some experience in at
tempting to secIre the enforcement
law against liquor selling in Montpel-
Ter in 1896 and 1887. In that town,
which cast not more than fifteen votes
for st. John. but numbers its temper
ance republicans by scores, only five
men were there found who would sign
complaints. Of these, three, to the
writer's personal knowledge, had voted
for st. John. And they felt them
selves embarrassed in their efforts by
a lack of hearty support from republi
can officials and citizens.
Again, as to the argument that we
are probably wrong because we are
so small a minority, and so many of
the majority are as wise as we are, if
not wiser. Can any one point to any
religious, moral, or even political re-
form of great proportions, which was
in the beginning supported by ma
jOrity2 How was it with the Chris
tian religion itself, the Lutheran and
Wesleyan movements, the abolition of
the slave trade, the right of trial by
jury, the duty of total abstinence from
alcoholic liquors, or the cause of en-
ancipation for the negroP Were not
all these reforms opposed, and even
ridiculed for years by wise men of the
majority?
Again it is stated, .Fas a lamentable
fact that many who become absorbed
in the prohibition idea lose sight of
the necessity of resolute efforts in the
common lines of temperance REFORM"
If by these common lines are meant
agitation and instruction prOmOtive of
sObriety and total abstinence, and the
formation and maintenance of temper
ance societies of all sorts, the writer is
willing to undertake the task of show
ing that third party prOhibitOnists are
as active along these lines as any other
class of people in the country.
Finally, a man is criticised, because,
having left the republican for the pro-
hibitiOn party, he has declared that he
would do anything in his power to in
jure the party which he has discarded.
That is very wicked to be sure, but we
venture a few sentences in his behalf.
Candidly, now, is he any worse than
his republican friends Z Are they try
ing to build up the prohibition party
The man mentioned is compared
to religious apOstate, or to the in
CRATE who kicks his old mother out of
doors because some of his brothers do
not agree with him in politics. Ac-
cepting the Monitors figure, which
makes the old lady a type of the re-
publican party, we would respectfully
submit one question: How much bet
ter would it be for the old lady to kick
her youngest boy out of doors because
he does not agree with his brothers in
politics Some prohibitionists, with
hearts as true as ever beat in human
breast, however erratic their heads,
have been made to feel the toe of the
maternal republican boot. If the re-
publican mother were fOndly nursing
the prohibition child the case would
be different; since she is doing her
best to chastise it, what wonder that
the infant kicksq That some persons
in the prohibition party manifest a
narrow and bitter spirit, cannot be
denied. That some republicans and
democrats show a like spirit is equally
true. But why trouble ourselves over
base opponents, when there be fore
men worthy of our steel The only
way by which any party can grow and
promote its purposes is by weakening
some other party. Each is in the field
seeking to strengthen itself at the ex
pense of some other. Even though
some prOhibitiOnists declare a purpose
to weaken the republican party as much
as possible, wherein lies the enormity
of such an aim 2 If that were diabol-
zeal, the attempts of republicans to
pulverize the little third party could
hardly be regarded as angelic. Each
Is conscientious, and has little reason
to call the other hard names or insti-
tute odious comparisons.
Not a Representative American.