Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-01

To the Editor OF the EVENING JOURNAL
ESTEEMED FRIEND: In your editoriaLof /
July %, entitled the Convention Of
Eighteen" 1 think you hardly sustain your
reputation as the editor Of an independent |
paper protesting to treat all, Of whatever
persuasion in religion, morals or politics,
with fairness and respect. II you will take
the trouble to review that article think
you will fad it tinctured and colored with
several Ingredients which in your better
judgement you would condemn. Don't
you think the very heading Of your article
had little tinge of partisan ridicule in it.
| being delegate TO that convention, who
did not go, happen to know that lowing to
haste and Misunderstanding numbers did
not get there. The convention was very
small, and really being a new born infant
in our state, would not be expected TO be
very large. Yon ses you need not have
gone to so much trouble to count, as this Ia
no more ON argument against cur position
than It would be to affirm that all reform
measures are strong at the beginning.
Next, don't you think you assume to
know rather much about our ambitions,
aims and secret motivesi You say In sub
stance we do not want local option srd
only strive after the unattainable. This
much think cannot be said in truth. II
is true that Prohibitionists regard local
option as a temporary expedient only, but
they have always been active, and the
most active. to obtain even so poor and
partial a N sasure az local option. They Of
course will be satisfied with nothing az a
finality short OF the utter determination by
constitutional prohibition Of the whole
criminal liquor business.
Then do you really think You offer any
argument when You declare; mo party
will ever be strong enough in Delaware or
in the country at large, to pass such a
measure; for the very goodreason % that
there will never be enough such utterly
! impracticable men either here or In the
! land at large TO constitute a majority.
We may declare things will never, never,
, never be-, but this is not argument; II ID
! merely cheap species Of prophecy. Now
i dear editor, don't you think it most pity
4 for young man like you, here in thes,
days Of monographs, and constantly new
found wonders in the field of morals, al
: we'll Is In that of science, TO stand up L
De Couuteu Win tudl ilue OF uafE prophets
q who have stood and held hard at the dool
latch of she world, against every new ange
OF light and liberty that has ever knocked
Il and gained entrancei Besides isn't it
> little late TO propssy on this subject, whel
a a in Maine, Rhode Island, Kansas, and low
a a We have this impossible" state Of things
= obtained by this impossible majorityi
AS TO the impossibility Of enforcing pre-
he hlbisory laws some OF us have too muc
n faith ia the sufictency Of our republica
's government to doubt its ability to enforc
Is any law which, by the consent OF a ms
- - iority of its voters it can enact; it is, how
W ever, nesdful that the constituency an
party through which law is obtained mul
in reality be its friend and sussainer froi
conviction. and not merely have consente
n to its passage as a compromise for the pu
ch pose OF reaching other ends. When our Dell
er ware shall honor itself as 1t certainly VII
Gu some day, with a constitutional, "Thc
N shalt not thundered with more than Sinl
rs force into the ear OF the wicked rum trait
aud that obtained and backed by poll