Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-08-28
johnson on Prohibition.

Fargo Argus: An Argus representa-
tive found Hon. M. N. johnson at the
Headquarters on Saturday, returning
from jamestown, and in response to the
query: 81 see you sign the call for the
Jamestown prohibition meeting; we're
you in attendance?" Mr.. johnson re-
sponded in his usual frank and prompt
manner: Well, there were two meetings
at jamestown yesterday, one called by
Mr.. Dickie of New York to form a pro-
hibition party and one called by a dozen
citizens of this state, myself included, to
form an enforcement league. Our meet
ing was entirely non-partisan and was
participated in by democrats, republi-
cans and Independents.
The invitation to Mr.. Dickie's meeting
excluded all prohibitionists who did not
think it necessary and expedient at
this time to form a separate political
party.
OF course that excluded me, and I
think about SO per cent. of the prohibi-
tionists of this state.
We invited everybody who was in
sympathy with the sentiment of respect
full obedience to the laws and the consti-
tuition of our state.
I did not attend Mr.. Dickle's meeting,
but was told by persons who did attend
that only sixteen citizens of this state
participated.
I do not know how many attended the
league meeting, but forty-fve signed
the constitution and paid their initiation
fee in a few minutes.
Letters of sympathy and encourage
ment were read from Governor Burke,
President Kinnear of the w. G. r. u,
Grand Master Twamley Of the Good
Templars and many others.
I have ar abiding conviction that pro-
hibition is here to stay as the settled
policy of the state. The law is fairly
we'll enforced now all over the state,
even in such places as Bismarck and
Fargo.
There is more money in all legitimate
lines Of business, laboring mon save
more, and employers, especially the big
farmers, get more and better work for
the money paid as wages.
Even people whose Judgment does not
approve of prohibition as the best
method, want to see the laws respected
and obeyed.
So far as the third party is concerned
| have very little to say. This is a free
country, and a great country for getting
up political parties. We had seven ma
tional parties in 'SS, and it looks now as
though we were going to have at least
fourteen in '92.
It's all right, only as long as a MAORI
ty of the voters of this state have placed
themselves on record as prohibitionists.
1 don't think it is just exactly according
to Hoyle and the true inwardness of the
code of morals underlying the principle
OF trade marks, for sixteen people at
jamestown, with probably three or four
hundred sy%mpathizers throughout the
state, to arrogate to themselves the name
of prohibition party, just because they
happen to differ from the vast majority
of their fellow prohibitionists as to the
immediate necessity of forming a new
party.
That duplicates the gall of the fellow
who ignored the eleven stubborn individ-
uals who were serving with him on the
jury and described himself as "We the
jury"
They say love is blind and I may be a
little near sighted in my devotion to the
republican party but I have voted it's
ticket snd preached it's gospel ever since
1 came of age, and I tell you, young
man, it is the genuine, original and
only party of enlightenment, of progress
and of moral ideas. It has successfully
weathered every storm and solved every
new problem tnat has faced us in de-
velopment of our complex civilization so
far, and I think it is just as capable as
it ever was of meeting every new issue
as it arises.