The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-02
AN UNNATURAL ALLIANCE,
A Protest Against Committing the Re-
publican Party to Equal Suffrage.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
AS lifelong advocate or equal suffrage,
1 wish to enter my vigorous protest against
the scheme which seems to be foreshadowed
by the late action of the Republican League
Nothing could be more fatal to it than its
Endorsement by any political party as a
measure of that party. 1t is not and never
can be a party measure, hence any attempt
TO complicate it with party policies must be
resisted and resented at the very thresh-
old by all its real friends: much less
should any of its friends seek such an un-
natural and destructive alliance Parties
do not exist for the purpose of promoting
every beneficial measure, and 1t is a bit of
unqualified arrogance for any party to
presume to take all social and moral as
well all economic measures under its
fostering care After all, what is a party
but an aggregation of men who approx
mately agree upon a class of correlated eco
nomic questions? In not a single instance
do any two agree to the details of any
one measure, and probaly not one in a thou
sand pretends TO indorse all the measures
which are grouped together the tout
ensemble of political belief. AS in the leg
islation which may result in the several
items of a political platform are the COM
promises which honest men are always
ready to make in a government by the
people. 1t may be that these Republicans
are reaching out for new issue which
may strengthen the party. They shall not
incorporate equal suffrage with my con-
sent. We have been too long educating
the millions and our labors have found
fruits too much in all political parties and
among men of all social ranks to allow
that success is assured, or to drive from
us nany of our most pronounced friends
who are found in all parties There is not
an intelligent man or woman who has de-
voted thought and labor to the promotion
of this great reform who does not regret
the superserviceabe zeal of some of its
friends who have sought to complicate it
with party politics. For twenty years or
more it has been handicapped by such an
common people have regarded them as
Identical. and by so much as they disap-
from equal suffrage The cohabitation has
not promoted prohibition one jot, while 1t
has brought equal suffrage into dsfavor.
proposed alliance. just as ] have protested
all these years, as a prohibitionist. against
allowing any political party to become, the
and never will seek favors from any po-
litical party: Whether esp3using prohioii-
not a question with me. j regard the sup
preston of the saloon as paramount to
only to the life of the Nation; hence l do
not propose that its procurement or its
enforcement or Its continuance snail de-
pend upon the success of any party which
is now or which is to be hereafter, as all
laws which passed as a party measure
must forever be; and i hail it as the most
hopeful sign of the early success of pro-
hibition that its true friends have at last
| eliminated it from party politics. Not
| political platform of any party of late
| mentions it. This forebodes not only early
success, but success that will abide re-
CARELESS of the life Of this party or that.
| Seeing, therefore, what prohibition has SUI
fered at the hands of political parties,
whether though the partys seeking
| strength by embracing it, or unwise pro-
hibiticnists have sought to boom their
cause by such an unnatural union. I pro-
| test and shall ever protest against any
! political party's Incorporating equal suf-
/ frage in it's platform; and no less shall
protest against a little handful of our
| friends going off by Themselves and or
| ganizing a suffrage party. That is always
| a failure. IL only disgusts people who
| would sympathize with us i'm any practical
| method and postpones our ultimate sue
cess. u. l.. SEE.
indianapolis. June 30