Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-06-04
+ Tile ninth PLANK.
The Three Distinct Lines of Policy
Which Struggled for Supremacy
in the Democratic Ranks.
Every Democrat In TSxas Fres 10 AID.
V3eate Any Form Of Prohibition Elk.
eepf estate Prohibition"
"FinahsS" Cannot Extend Beyond Two
Yesrs-Hou the Fort Worth Plat
form VIII All ct Prohibition
BY B. Il, CARROLL,

ulstlncL unes CI 1uture pollcy nave Strug-
gled fer supremacy in the Democratic
ranks. One, ycleped the "Heart OF Oak, "
sired by such distinguished leaders as
C ark, Shepard and Chiffon, demanded
that prohibition, in idea and principle,
should be declared sumptusry and anti
Democratic. Another, chsmpio1ed by
the Hon. Dick WYnne ct 81 insisted that
there should be platform silence on pro-
hibltion as principle, but as the late
election made 1t 3 dead issue, the result
should be accepted by Democrats as the
fiGslity Of vexed question, A third, ad-
vocsted by-by- ('Why name mg mel.r-
choly friends?"O-urged that one's con-
Viction upon this local, police regulation,
whether pro or con, should not affect his
standing in the Democratic party.
| The relative strength Of these respect
i've policies has not been tested before The
Democratic masses.
| But quasi test among the Democratic
politicians occurred recently in the Fort
Worth convention.
1t being presidential year, and there
fore most suspicious in time, this test
was precipita.ed by the advocates Of the
first line ofpolicy. All preliminary steps
necessary to victory had been taken.
The result is embodied in the folio wing
| uttersnce:
"9. That we sccept the result Of the
vote on the proposed amendments Of the
state constitution on the question of
state prohibition, at the election held on
the n Of August, 1887, IS q fnality; and
the Democratic party of the state of Texas
deprecstes and will oppose any movement
looking to the reopening or further agi-
tation of the question Of state proaioi-
tion."
It appears from the published report OF
proceedings that this declaration
was unanimously recommended by
mixed committee on platform, and was,
By whoop and burrsh, without discussion,
unanimously adopted by the whole con-
yention.
W1ereupon, the whole state brlstles
with interrogation points:
(Which of the three. lines uf policy pre-
vailed?" as it authoritative, snd bind
ing upon the Democratic msssek?"
"What does it mean?" chow do YOU
construe !i?' "Does it align the Demo-
cratic party against prohibition2"
"Whst will be its practical results?"
"Are you salts ded2n
Every splinter in the plank has been |
under the microscope. Is ductlli.y hss |
been tested by drawing il out, under pull |
ing at each end, into thread 80 sttenu-
ated as to be withou! strength or VISIBLE
ity. Its malleability has been developed |
oY steady harmonic, ng until 8 square
inch paragraph is made wide enough to
cover al the state and sll future time,
becoming SO thin, however, by too much
spreading as to be transparent aud fragile
as gosssmer. It's iusioility has been
demonstrated in the furnace of criticism
until, like liquid iron, 1t can be run for
final hardening into any mould whatever.
Under the crossligh.s Of conflicting
constructions 1t appears with more heads
than the hydra, more arms than Briareus,
more eyes than Argus, more shapes than
Proteus and more meanings than the
du 7ious utterances of the Delphic oracle
Prohibition is buried forever"
chimes the neutral Gazette. "The
heart OF oak plank is culled
out" growls the radically anti News.
''It is stronger than nv heert-of oak
plank" says C.
SIT is the very thing advocated when
SO bitterly opposed your hesrt-o oak
plank in the county convention" says NJ
SIT is dogmstic lamentstion over the !
past and fulmen brutum regarding the
'uture, combined, and IL doing more to
that obstreperous corpse than
10 perform its obsequies. Il is an Irish I
wake over that corpse, and not peace" {
says the inimitable sarcastic L. Il
at settles the question forever" says ,
J. "We are done With prohibition fool-
shness for all time to come"
Ssys the Austin Statesman: sThe
Fort Worth declaration is not binding !
lpon Democrats, and will not finally dis
bose OF the Issue. The greatest sbsurdi- i
, WAS to assume that any party could
suppress any issue that divides party or {
he people Of all parties. The issue lives !
Until all men are of one mind" .
"It is the quintessence Of the heert-of- |
,ak plank" says pro. /
T regard it IS crow" says an equally
an:i, "snd 50 take it." I
And so the criticism goes on ed intlni- |
um. II
Still it will bear one more analysis. I
l. Which OF the three conflicting lines T
II p3hc7 is embodied in il2 Evidently i
nd substantially the Sc 'ond, with
light shading from the other two. It is
Is widely varisnt from the so-called :
heart of-oak" as from the last. TIC any :
mind there must be wide
Ind radical difference between the 9
'nesrt-of-oak" plank on the one hand, |:
which sough. to Change the dictionaries
~ Masking prohibition sumptusry- i
which condemned It per Sc, which de
;lared 1t in principle and idea iuadamen- >
ally wrong snd anti-Democrntic, and on .
ihe other hand mere acceptance Of q .
oopular verdict. z The latter comedies no :
wrong in prohibition but popular disfavor :
b lsck of sufficient votes. The same =.
serene resignation TO public opinion, :
would under reversed circumstances /,
make 1t exceedingly right, proper and ,
Democratic Moreover, - heart of oak :
n prescribing prohibition in principle, !
ogically condemns it in all Its forms
But this ninth plank merely accepts 8 re- 8
'ult as to OILY one OF its forms, and it the
east prevalent form in the world. |,
There Is no form Of prohibition
Existing to-day south OF Mason's