The advocate., 1892-03-09

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impressed with the value Of prohibition as
state policy, the Republican party cannot COM
pei It to after Its opinions, nor can any other
party. The task Is one for the temperance 30
cleties, the churches, the schools and the public
press. It Is moral, educational work, not po-
lltical one. HavlnL created the law and success
fully champiOned It against the organized efforts
OF It's enemies, the Republican party can do
nothing better than to rest on It's oars till public
sentiment catches up.
Being prohibitions best friend. It Is lnaniEestly
to the interest Of the prOhlbitOry policy that the
Republican party maintain it's supremacy In the
state. PrOhibitlOnists therefore should be so
licltOus for Republican success In the
coming campaign, and TO that end should
be careful to throw no impedlmenC In
the party's way. The fight this year Will
be q hard one; every vote that can be mustered
will be- needed to retain Kansas In the column OF
Republican states. We cannot afford TO ALLEVIATE
any element Of the party membership, II it can
be hOnOrably avoided. The exact number Of
anti-prOhlbltIOn votes in the state iS not known
but 1t runs up into the thousands They Will all
be needed to Insure success next November, and
If they are not driven away will be cast for the
straight Republican ticket. It remains for the
majority element Of the party to determine
whether these votes shaA be gathered In or
turned over to the enemy.
It would no doubt be a satisfaction to many en-
thusiastic Prob bitiOnlsts to Insert long plank
In the Republican state platform, reciting how
the opponents Of the Law should be routed, aud
how the party is going to stand by the law and
make 1t still more rigid But, under the CircuDn-
stances, Is that necessary or expedlsnt? We
have the law-Why should we continually tan
talze the opposition with 1t? If they are content
to keep silent on the subject why should not we
be? This Is matter Of practical politics as well
as Of principle. Let US look at 1t in practical,
common sense way. The uphOldlng OF Republ-
can teachings and party success are at stake,
and the emergency Is, or may be, critical. Would
1t not be better to keep prohibition out Of the
platforms and out Of the campaign this year, and
battle with an eye single to the success OF the
party? Cannot PrOhlDltlOnlsts, as well as resub-
misslOnIsts, see the wisdom Of such course?
| 1t would seem that all Republicans could and
should. The very life OF the party may depend
upon Il.
The Lawrence Journal OF March
3, has leading editorial from which
we extract the following:
At the league meeting on Tuesday there were
Republicans from every part Of the state. They
were representative Republicans, too, and voiced
the sentiment Of the counties from which they
came. A short time suficed tO show the drift
of sentiment in reference TO the treatment OF
the prOhlbitOry law The expression was al
most universal that as party measure lt should
be let alone until by circumstances 1t becomes
an issue. Few oppose this Idea. They declared
that as long as the Republican party insisted
upon thrustlng It forward, so long would the
Democrats, az least, oppose 1t.
The enemy the Republicans have to fight this
year, the element next In Importance to the Re
publican party In the state, is divided upon the
question. and has never made any declaration
10 reference to 1t. The Alliance regards the
question az settled, and unites upon what it con
slders living issues. Shall the Republicans
ignore the challenges thrown down by It's new
opponents, retreat ten years and entrench them
selves behind a "prohibltOry plank" and de
mand the suffrages Of the intelligent voters Of
Kansas upon question that is as thoroughly
settled as the location Of the state capitol?
Ordinarily the Republican party would laugh
to scorn the man who insisted upon fighting
battles that had been won long ago. But here
We nnd men, few Of them, who want TO fisht
spectres, and ghosts and "reminiscences. IL II
an uncommon sight The Republicans are evel
In the van battling for unsettled principles ant
disputed rights. Must the party now, at the
dictates of q few men whose hobby is prOhibi
tIon, whose only hope Is agitation Of dead Issues
allow the living questions Of the present TO b'
thrust aside In order that they may "pOlnt with
prldo" TO their victories of ten years ago, and
ask the party to go before the people on what
did then and let the questions that are before III