New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-24
ONLY AN ALLY OF THE SALOONS
THE PROHIBITION PARTY DELUSIoN
OLIVER JOHNSON SAYS THERE is NorhiN" Az
ENCOURAGE IT IN THE HISTORY OF
y ,,r1r ID PARTY.

this crisis of the political campaign upon the at'l-
tude of the Prohibition political party wHlch
seems TO me to be doing mischief and acting unoer
q strange deluson. Its leaders ana l's cons'i.u-
enev are in the main conscientious persons, DC
voted 10 good and great object, the suppression
of intemperance and its vast brood OF evils. but
every reader of history knows that huge pro
portion of the mischief and folly that nave curseo
the world and hindered beneicent reforms has re-
suited from the unfortunate delusions OIL cohscieh
tious, well-meaning men in adopting unwise means
for the promotion of good end IL cannot pe oe-
ried that conscientiousrNss and wisdom are not
;nfreouentlv found in sad antagonism, and 1t IS
nv sincere belief that this is Just what Is the
matter with our Prohibition friends Zeal IN
good cause is both necessary and admirable, put
A. NAV be so hot as to defeat the purpose OF those
who indulge it.
The champions Of this party are constantly
pointing us TO the example of the Liberty party
the assumed success Of which, after Feeble De-
ginnings, led up, step b. step as is alleged 10 ,ic
abolition of slavery 1t is time that TINS ouppi0
were pricked by some one who knows the history
of that party and how little there is in It's example
20 encourage the hopes of the Prohibitionists- AS
a contemporary of its founders, and one who took
part in the discussions preceding its formation al
low me to perform this needful task In doing so
I shall recte a chapter OF history, " all OF wnich
I saw and part Of which was
The Liberty party was formed in 1S4o. fhe
anti-savery movement under Garrison, wnicn hao
fits beginnings ten years earlier, contemplated 'he
removal Of slavery by "moral and politieai ac-
ton, as prescribed by the Constitution OF 'ne
United States, These the very words OF
Garrison in the Declaration OF 1888 In inc
annual report OF the American Antl-olavery ~
ciety for 1888 the Executive Committee OF when
James C. Birney the 1appan brotners' Ii~ur
WRIGHT. and Joshua Leavitt were all members
hore this testimony: Abolitionists have resolved
from the first to act upon slavery practically nob
BY organizing new political party, but by making
IL the interest of the parties already eAisune "
act upon abolition principles AL al e"i"e'
date the same committee said III Is W NC "a
rected that some political wolves will put on the
clothing of aboltionsm and seek to elevate tneh'-
selves and manage the anti-slavery organization 10
soouro their own purposes But they ought to be
met on the threshold and stripped of their disguise
The best safeguard against their entrance Is ior
the Abolitionists, while they firmly refuse TO 'oce
for a man who will not support abolition measures
To avoid setting up candidates of their own
I'm this ground the Abolitionists were unit
until, 1910 Their movement was primarily moral
and religious, but, Doey neither aFso, Hoi
neglected the political bearings of their cause
BY their non-partisan societies, newspapers @ct-
ures aud tracts they created an agitation whlch
reached the halls Of Congress and oil STATE Legs
laturcs and kept the political parties IN constant
ferment They flooded Congress with anti
slavery petitions asking that body to do what
ever it constitutionally could in opposition 10
slavery John Quincy Adams, Joshua K. Gid
dings William Slade and others gladly presented
these petitions. Much had been done to inform
and arouse public sentiment in favor of abolition
measures, and the work going on as rapidly
as could be reasonably expected, when a few
persons, firing of moral agitation and impatient
for more pronounced political action. proposed to
turn the moN cment into Political party engine
II they had left the societies u continue their
legitimate work, and organized Their party oy
ITSELF independently, their action would nave
been less dagrant Reputation OF solemn pledges
but they made deliberate attempt TO carry the
National and State societies over TO their scheme
. and thus make the whole movement tributary to
a political party. In this, thanks to Garrison,
its founder, and his friends, they were foied;
but they created division over which the enemies
of the cause exulted and struck paralyzing
blow that was most disastrous to the work of
moral agitation Many anti-savcry societies
were left TO perish their members contenting them
selves thenceforth with the spasmodic activities
Of the caucus, and doing little TO counterfeit by
any more direct means the Vaccinations OF pro-
slavery pulpit and church. On the moral field
one man chsses thousand, and two put ten
thousand TO fight, but in politics noses alone
count and when the supporters of slavery saw
how Few Abolltonists rallied 10 the new party
they were greatly chcercd. They had been in
n IA lN,.t IL.
said, Aha who cares for what feeble
squad can dol" Looking back to that day now,
after the lapse of forty-eight years, | am sure
that Garrison and his friends were right in re-
gardlng the new political organization as most
unfortunate. II was abortive attempt TO
M the STANDARD of morals in the State higher
anan ia thc Churci, and to array the former
against sin for which the latter was offering
apologies out of the Scriptures
,rinorPGt Un''cal party, composed of small
i asue but G' cl baSns presenting moral
electng its candidates always tends 10 cmbarraSs
ana a,, weaken the best and help the worst of the
country. 1t was so with Che Liberty uartv ' In
io4s the main issue was the scheme of the sIava
power TO annex Texas. The Democratic party
lar enough from being Abolitionists. We're. AS n
party, openly arrayed against it, This was the only
sawsry az WIS., s,ue d6 IL that conflict that related
oirected the whole weight of its influence TO the
o., one purpose Of defeating Henry Clay. keeping
~ !" eoISooht 1rc upon MIN as slak eh0lder and
saying little or nothing about the STAKEHOLDER
FOLK The Emancipator.7 which had been most
2 1Inhandsomely flehed from the American Anti
slavery Society, became the organ of the PARTY.
ana was purposely so edited TO make its issues
available TO the Democrats for campaign purposes.
They scattered them by thousands in neiehbor
hoods where there was chance of detaching voters
from the Wing party. Then as now, the State
Of New-York was close. and these machinations
Of the Liberty party slienated just enough Wing
voters to ave It to Polk and insure the triumph
OF the slave power. IL was scandalous spectacle
disgusting thousands OF honest antislavery voters:
and II is no wonder that when the Free-Soil party
was formed. four years later il felt it necessary
to leave the name and the baggage Of the Liberty
party behind. To have done otherwise would
bave diminished its small chances of success
Eight years later STILL when the time had at
length come that there was chance of carrying
the country against the further extension Of
slavery, a new and independent party was orOan