The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-07-05

"Watchman, what of the night?a As
Prohibitionists we have lately received some
very heavy pounding. There's no use de-
| nying this. Our friends, the enemy, have
.sknocked us OUT in Michigan, Oregon,
Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, New
Hampshire, Massachusetts,, and more re-
Gently in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania,
and in New Jersey they are strutting
around with a chip on each shoulder, dar-
ing some one to knock it off. Under the
circumstance would it be wise just now
to go into the chip knocking business and
square off for a constitutional knock-down?
We think not. We think unwise precepi-
tation in the past has given us a setback
in fact, several Of them-and that national
prohibition, or a national amendment to
the constitution, rather, is farther OIL now
that it was before the late elections.
What then? Well it appears to us then,
in view of the facts, that it might be well
to call a halt, collect together the wise and
earnest friends of prohibition, and advise
and be advised in the matter. If it should
be shown after careful investigation that
we have gone too fast in the direction of
constitutional amendment, or in other
words have asked it of the several states
before they were prepared to give it to us,
before, in fact, they were half educated up
to it, let us, even at the price, the heavy
price, of crucifying our fondest hopes
and plans, resolve to do our first works
over and go it slow in the future.
If prohibition in a whole state at one
time should appear impracticable, whereas
the same result could be surely achieved
by going it slow, county by county, one
at a time, let us rather choose the slow
and sure way, to the "whole hog or nome
plan. If it should be shown that We could
beat the enemy by fighting him i'll detail
and on ground of our own choice, let Is
allow no factious zeal to override our
judgment, so giving the enemy just the OPP
~portunity they desire and have had in the
past. In fact, let us emulate the wisdom
of the ayera &c politician and strike when
and where it will do the most good without
reference to our preconceived notions. OF
course we do not suppose by this thai pro-
hibitionists in this or any other way meanto
secure a present good at the expense of
ultimate success, but they rather mean to
follow every line with that one end in
view.
The Home Visitor, an aggressive and
fearless champion of prohibition, published
at Clinton, Hunterdon county, this state,
in its last issue, says:
"We are decidedly of the opinion that
the best way to educate public feeling in
this amendment direction is to procure
local option in counties.
Had the local option law been thorough
ly tested in Hunterdon county for three
years there is no doubt in our mind but the
majority in its favor, should an election
been held at that time, would have been
double or triple what it was in January
last. Then too, with eight or ten counties
in New Jersey under local option how much
easier it would have been through the in
fuence of these counties to have procured
constitutional amendment in a few years,
while an attempt at that now VIC believe
would meet with an ignominious defeat.
Let US be willing to advance step by step
and hold every point taken. Support for
our Legislature candidates that can be de-
pended upon and gain ground as we learn
ed to walk. Don't try too great things
when the people are not ready and with us.
By discretion rather than stubbornness we
can advance this great work in a united
way and when New Jersey is ready for a
constitutional amendment we will not
share the fate of our sister common
| wealth"
Other Prohibition journals, equally able
and equally aggressive, like the New York
Voice, Temperance Gazette, and others, ad-
vocate the opposite course and say the
party is already on the right track. Let
all sides be heard, and above all let mod
Grafton temper the counsel.