The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-10-23
is PROHIBITION AN EvANEsz
CENT ISSUE2
rFrom the voicel1

from the Voice.
The politicians have beRuiled thasu.
olives with the hope that Prohibition
yas Il temporary fanatieism that was
kelly TO have its fling for ! few years
md then betake itself out Of the political
The number Of athird p~arties'
n the history Of American politics mas
,cen legion, but 1t is difficult to MAINS
me whicbrhas survived two Presidential
campaigns, and very few have survived
me. /Why was not the Prohibition party
destined to the same evanescent career?1
r was freely predicted after the St.
John campaign that it would never be
heard Of again as q political factor. The
same Prediction. Was less freely but still
confidently made after tie Fisk Eam-
paign, and yet the party still maintains
it's activity, and we have just seen a fun
of ST. 300 per month, for seventeen
months, raised in an off year for Its
National Committee.
In this day Of Kaleidoscope changes
in politics, why is 1t that the issue OF
prohibition has not long since been rele-
gated to Sbscufity5 IS it an issue that
cam survive for more than d few years
longer at the most? In building up the
Prohibition party are we toiling for an
enhemcral organization which is likely
soon to 60 the way Of so many other
third parties, or for an organization des-
tined to assume control Of the nation as
the Republican party did, and to accom-
plish its mission before yielding its place?
In short, Is prohibition an evanescent
issue?
In answering this question two con-
siderations are of special Importance.
The first one is: the nature OF the mo-
tives underlying the prohibition .move-
mcht. Thgse M5ttVes are Hlnlest entire.
ly, as yet, moral. The movement IS; 81
course, a political movement, and its
purposes are political, but the motives
underlying it, which have given 1t Its
power to-day, are moral motives and moi
motives of salf-tnterest. 1t is not, that
is to say. an uprising Of a certain class
to obtain certain benefits for themselves
In this respect it is analogous to the
anti-slavery movement, which was not
an uprising of those who were oppressed
hv the system Of slavery, but an uprls-
ing of those who themselves never felt
the lash of the overseer's whip Or the
degradation of the Observation-Disclosures
tcrested persons who were impelled not
by self-interest, but by love OF justice
and humanity,
Tile Pr1hibitienists are not, to any
great extent, the ones who personally
suffer from the drink curse. If their
motives were those Of self-interest they
would have abandoned the fight years
ago. They are iii this movement be-
Jus tlieir conscience will not let them
rest oft of it. Now, If moral principles
were as changcable as political toiidi-
lions are, we might look for the vanish
ing of this issue as others have vanished.
But the truth is that in this changing
universe of our the moral law Is about
.hG only thing thai dtss h5t change.
This it is which has kept Prohibitionists
the country over contributing in money
and time to a movement which is reason
ably certain to bring on them for some
Tine to come nothing but sneers and
and i'll many cases .estrBcism as @
'eturn. This it Is which assures the
of the movement in spite of
he kaleidoscope changes which politics
s almost yearly undergoing. The party
; not an eutgrowth of mere political
Igitatidn: 1t has had to advance every
tep of the way despite the opposition OF
he politicians of both old parties. They
not throttle it in its infancy, much
can they do so now.
The second consideration that must be
taken into account is the natufe OF the
evil which the movement combats.
There Is not d mail between the two
seas, we presume, who qh5stiSns the
reality of the drink evil, or questions its
magnitude. There is nothing imagin-
airy in it. The impassive police court
and the sarcastic press are compulsory
witnesses to the truth of this statement
are OF peculiar Importance The evil /
a progressive one, and 1t is d visible enc
IN speaking of 1t as progressive, we rgfe
hoI 10 the increase Of intemperanc
l"hlch, however, is an alarming fact)
Dut 10 the growing power of the saloo,
IN polltlcs. That power has already be
ONE the dominant power in most of GU
large cities. This is the most apballiu
1act connected with the problem. Wheti
er we can continue to stand intem
pcrance as the world has always had t
stand 1t, and trust to the checks whic
nave hitherto prevailed, is not the cues
sicn Oh most urgency. Can we stand
TO nave the saloons Of the nation in r
tlcal control of OUR Government? Tha
IS the question, and it becomes dali
more urgent: The saloon is not likely +
feilnqulsh its political grip voluntarily
IL IS lar more likely to tighten than t
loosen 1t. How can it be made to disar
pear as a political factor until it is mad,
10 disappear as a social and industria
FACTOR? 1t is not merely a medium
through which corrupt politics works
put IL is itself the Chief %corrupter, an,
tEe ~debauched citizens which it turn
OUT are the pawns with which the cor
rupt politician plays his game. Thi
phase OF the drink evil is progressive
ana because it is progressive it is intol
eraoie. The only remedy for it lies il
the destruction of the dram-shop, Ever,
movement the. liquor dealers make onl'
hastens this inevitable end.
by the visibility of the evil we mea,
-thls: 1t is not something afar off of whicl
men have to be told: It is an evil tha
touches almost every home and make
: ltself 'repulslvely visible to every indiyid
ua'. u makes stump speeches agains
ilsel1 from street corner and gutter. 1
IS an evil one runs against at every turn
n which is daily adding re-enforce
ments to it's enemies by its W work
irrespective OF political agitation. I,
Goes not depend for it's vitality upon tho
persistence of the "agitator, +" to die wher
his perseverance fails. In this case if i,
the issue itself that keeps up the agita,
tlon. 1t cannot conceal itself or II,
work. 1t touches the dearest interests
or thousands. 1t is continually thwart.
ing the plans of manufacturer and mer
chant. 1t has been borne only becanse
1t has been regarded as an p~npreyenta.
Die v that we could do nothing eise
with but bear. But let the idea once fl.
ter through the minds of the people that
the evil is a p%reventable one, and short
work VIII be made OF it.
NO, prohibition is not an eyanescen+
issue. 1t IS here to stay until the evil #
remedies has disappeared. That is, it is
here to stay until it conquers.
I'rohib ton the supreme Question.
The only homes, suprcmcly important
'ollt!cal issue in this country ali tho
present time is the issue raised Nv the
a!oon. On the one side stands a marty
mall, it is true, but inVincib'c in its do.
nsc of eternal right. You NAV not
ONE 10 us now, you may not vote Win
IS now. There mayLe, there are. differ
'ncrs OF opinion. You Republican tenn
a,nI nee, mona rn,,o,,,,,