New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-10
TIE Dirty or PROHIBITIONIS7S.

For most citizens, even for those OF JUST
minds and strong sympathy with the cause OF
tcn,perancn. it is difficult not 10 regard the
nominations Of the Prohibition party for PrcSi-
dent and Vice President a. farce. but this
performance has a sad and even tragic side.
Here are men numbering hundreds OF thou
sands, men Of undoubted purity Of purpose
whose motives are noble and whose efforts can
not be a,crlbed 10 SclhShneSS deliberately
throwing away the noblcst birthricht OF Amon-
can citizenship and dveSting themselves a'
far as they can Of the duties and responsibilities
of sovereignty. In voting for candidates who
they well know cannot be elected they de-
liberately make possible the success OF the
worst and most dangerous party IN the coun-
trv. and for no other reason than because
more worthy party, the one which has done
for the cause of temperance all that ever has
been done, is not ready to 60 As fast or as far
as these earnest men would 60.
Not one such citizen ont of hundred thou
sand. it may he safely said, fully realizes what
grave results have already come from the at
titude of the ProhibitonStS. They are re-
sponsibc. more than all other persons in this
country, for that alliance between the Demo
cratic party and the saloons which has given
10 New York New-Jcrscy and some other
States the most villanous government they ever
had. Prohibition made possible the election ct
Democratic legislators in those states, and par
ticularly the election Of such unworthy and un-
scrupulous candidates as that party nominated
and elected under the dctation of the saloons
Democracy was fighting desperately to win, and
10 that end was forced to take such candidates
AZ the liquor interest Would support. and thus
there came an epidemic OF rascality and cor
ruption which has frghtfuly burdened and
Numbered the people, disgraced The States and
brought clf-covcrnment into contempt. In a
great many cases, more than enough TO turn
the scale. the worst candidates were elected
because the Prohbtionists persisted in throw
ing away their votes
Doing evil that good may come is ever n
costly business. \ Democratic President who
had no sympathy whatever with the cause of
temperance was the direct result of the waste
of votes by ProhibitonstS. They thought, no
doubt, that it might help their cause TO defeat
tho Republicans, and punish them FOR refusing
10 make all other interests secondary TO the
enactment of prohibitory liquor laws. But the
punishment has fallen upon those who consent
cd TO do evil that good might come. The cause
Of Prohibition has been set back in every part
of the country The thoughtful and candid
Prohibitionist must realize that his cause has
lost more ground since the election of Prcsi-
dent Cleveland than it had gained in many
years. or can hope to recover under existing
conditions. So long as the two great parties
hold their present positions nne-tenths of the
n : ~:
vote for thrd-party ticket, because they have
found that it is in fact nothing but an assistant
Democratic ticket.
This year the Prohibition voters have a re-
sponSibity which they cannot avoid. BY
wasting their vote, they may give the electoral
votes Of some States to the Democratic can
didate who will also be generally supported by
the liquor interest. If they ask their con-
sciences which of the two possible candidates
ought to be elected. not one in twenty of them