Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-07-10

IL uOW UOCOuuOO Jul R01hAuA ANSy
to bid last farewell to the arguments
of our respected south side neighbOr,
on the prohibition question. He has
had his six says; he has been given the
freedom of our columns in which to
air his opinions, and more especially in
which to rehash the labOriOuSly gath
cred and zealously compiled statistics
of the New York Voice, that rankest
and most unreasonable of third party
northumberland p rim cipally
paper. Our southern "Pumpkinvine"
has strung out it's branches in Six
weeks growth in search of cold water,
has spread it's broad leaves over the
pages of this paper, and in its rank
life, short but obstreperous, has
thought to throw a shade of depression
upon the growing feelings of our
readers in favor of more reasonable
laws and a freer state government.
But the ''Pumpkinvine, fiourisheth no
more; in its broad field of usefulness,
the DEMOCRAT has better and more
important productions to bring forth
than ''Pumpkinvines."
"Like % the damask rose see.
Or like the blossom on the tree;
Or like the sun, or like the shade,
Or like the gourd which Jonah had"
Even such is "Pumpkinvine."
''Whose thread is spun,
Drawn out, and cut,
And SO, tits done.
Wither the rose, the blossom blasts,
The flower fades, the morning hastes,
The sun is set, the shadows fly
The gourd consumes
So "Pumpkinvines," die.
Our friend Miller is gentleman and
scholar; he is a man who, should he
eschew the cranky notions he has on
prohibition-thatg greatest of all farces
would be well fitted to fill almost
any Office in the gift of the people of
this vicinity. We do not desire to do
him an injustice in any manner nor to
belittle his ability as a writer by cidi-
culing his argument. We believe he
is in earnest in his advocacy of prohi-
bition, and admire him for his honesty;
but the trouble is he has given all his
thought and attention to arguments in
favor of his pet theory, to the exclusion
of everything else, till he has grown
blind to the every day occurrences of
life that are happening all around him
and demonstrating beyond a question
that prohibition is not and never can
be means of lessening the evils of
intemperance; but on the other
hand is but party movement, sub
terfuge of unprincipled politicians who
think to work upon the feelings of hon.
est men for the furtherance of their own
interests.
When entering this series of letters
discussing the question with Mr.. Mil
Ter, we had no intention, nor no time
to hunt up statistics and Figures, cold
and unfeeling arrays of arguments;
but rather depended upon a plain
showing of facts ard surroundings
easy of access to our readers, to prove
our assertions that prohibition is
NOT the best method of controlling the
evils of drink. Still thinking that way,
and knowing that Mr.. Miller has done
some hard work to get his argument
before our readers, we are willing to
rest the matter in their hands. with a
firm belief that their verdict will be for
our side of the QUESTION.
AS before stated there are matters
claiming space in the DEMOCRAT that
are of far more Importance to Kansas
farmers, and we are not DESTROYS of
going further into the discussion of
DrOhihitiOn