Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-11-03
THE PROHlBS
OF Texas Define Their Position
on the Issues of the Day
INA LETTER TO THE PEOPLE
Sent 0ui BY Their Candidate For Governor,
Judge Prenderaasi-LlQuor, The Tariff,
The Money Question, The Regula-
lion Of The Railroads.

10 the Voters of Texas;
My Fellow DEMONSTRATING been
placed at tho head OF the state ticket Of
the Prohibition party of Texas, and
having made no cdlvasa i take this
method of addressing you.
The time Is near ut hand when II
will be your privilege, and l may say
your duty as well, to exercise the high
est prcrogatiye of nm American citizen
In selecting the officers who are to make
your laws aud administer your govern
ment for the next two years. This coun-
try is controlled by the ballot. As this
is the case, each voter becomes an i'm
pOrtant factor in the government, and
Is responsible, to the extent OF his bal
lot, Tor Its character. How important
Then, before casting his vote, that he
should consider well the measures ad-
yocated by the different parties seeking
Dis suffrage, as also the mensures
ieemed of vital Importance, they fail TO
ldyocate.
The convention by which my name
vas presented for the office of governor
adopted platform which, | feel CON
hdent, will compare fnyornbly with the
platforms Of the other PARTIES, or fac
IONS, 80 use fayorite expression of
the daily press) aud in some respects
either.
The prohibition party is not party
VI Niiis bht lNtts as mas UtHU often rs
serted, ns will be readily seen by an
examination Of the platform. The plat
form is broad, comprehensive and ok
pnclt. lt Expresses what the party
means IN plain and unGmbiguOus terms,
covers the principal questions aud meas
ures regarded as important in their bear
Ing upon the material prosperity aud
moral well.buiug of the people.
1he position is taken In the platform,
amongst other things, that the revenue
needed for the support Of the federal
government should be raised by tnxinx
what we make instead OF what we CON
sumo, ms We do now under the tariff
system; that money, adequate to meut
the demands of business, should consist
OF gold, silver and paper all to be Of
iull legal tender and Issued without the
Intervention of corporations or indiydu-
als;that railroads, telegraph lines and
other corporations which owe their eN-
istence to grants Of power, should be
controlled by the state, and not allowed
TO make higher charges than may be-
necessary TO pay the expenses Of Oper-
alton and reasonable profit upon the
capital actually invested; that speculn-
tons In margins, the "cOrnering" of
money, grain and other products aud
the formation of trusts and combine
tons for the arbitrary advancement OF
prices, should be prohibited by law;that
the laws against the introduction into
the country OF paupers and criminals
should be strictly enforced .thnt non
resident aliens and foreign corporations
should not be allowed 10 acquire lands
In the state,eXcept by foreclosure of
mortgages or other liens, and in such
cases should he required TO DISPOSE of
the same within ten enrs;and that all
unearned grants Of land to railroad
be reclaimed.
The party is also the open advocate
OF the suppression, by law, of the liquor
traiho, believing II to he the fruitful
source Of crime, pauperism, degradation
ana political corruption. Few, il any,
take II, can be found so bold and rccl,-
less as to claim that any good grows
out Of this traffic Tho saloon Is motor
lousy the headquarters Of gamblers, de-
banchecs lnw-brcnkers aud the dissolute
class generally, aud the place where the
youth. Of the country are debauched and
ruined. All other sources of corruption
and degradation dwindle into ndgnif-
canoe when compared with this gigantic
EVIL, Who, then, Is responsible for the
existence OF this great eyilf Evidently
the Political party that controls the
legislation Of the country. And this
curse TO society IL not Ouly tolerated
but has the protection Of law thrown
around i Ia the form of license And
TINS Is done under the guise Of Teguln-
ton. Was there ever a greater absurd.
ity than TO claim to regulate a thing that
Is evil and nothing but evil by giving n
legal sanction2 10 license Is 70 protect
and to protect Is to sanction.
The question, then, may well be asked
this wenlth-destroying, morally de.
basing, manhood degrading and crime
breeding trniilc Is TO be continued n
traffic In which nothing good can be
found. You certainly cannot hope for
any relief in this direction by the nc-
ton of either OF the other parties seek
Ing to be elevated to official position by
your votes. They did not have the
courageleither one Of them to so far
antagonize the liquor power az to place
In their platforms even sort OF milk
aud cider resolution ON the subject OF
temperance, In fact one Of these par-
ties or factions, ut you desire to use the
terml went so far as to make nm open
bid for the saloon vote, aud influence,
by inserting Ia It's platform the old
'unti-sumptuary slogan. Why this III
lence Of the other parties upon this i'm
portnnt question, question so vitality
affecting the public interest? IL NAV
not be very complimentary 10 say so,
but 1t Is nevertheless true, that there can
be but one answer made to this question,
ard that Is they either favored the IA.
loon and were afraid 10 say so, or they
were afraid to nntagunize IL. In either
case the true friends Of temperance.
those who believe this traffic Is n curse
and should be prohibited, are left with
out hope, so far as these parties are con.
ccrned.
The friends Of prohibition, however.
need not despair. The cause they ndvo.
cate Is Just and right and must and will
prevail. Strange as IL may seem Ia
some people, 1t is. l think, nevertheless,
susceptible Of proof and true, that thc
Prohibition party might succeed nt the
approaching election II all who claim 10
be good temperance people and are OPP
posed TO the saloons mot to say Chris,
tiansl could be induced to correct a few
erroneous opinions and to so far free