The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-04-24
AN EARNEST LETTER.
Thinks the POpulists Should Not Unite
With the PrOhfbitiOnists-Hfs Rea-
SONS for This Belief-A Great Up
heaval Near at Hand.

With the PrOhfbitiOnists-IIfs Rea-
SONS for This Belfef-A Great Up
heaval Near Mt Hand.
To the Editor:
Time and again in the Forum of the
Representative is there to be found such
strong appeals for the Peoples party to
join hands with the Prohibitionists in or
der to help enact prohbitory laws, to stop
the liquor traffic altogether. The advocates
of prohibition principles have even gone
so far as to attack our learned friend Hon.
Ignatius Donnelly. because they think he
is not doing justice to their cause, unless
he submits to the demands of the Prohbi-
tionists and add their favorite plank to the
Omaha PLATFORM
l think with the rest of the Peoples par
ty that those who cannot stand upon that
platform in it's present shape are either
narrow minded otherwise shaky in their
knees. 1t is we'll enough to make laws to
reform drunkards; there is also another
way to reform them, more effective than
any law, that can be made in Republic
can hotbeds: and 1 will say to all Pro-
hibitons.
Try the following remedy for drunken
ness: "ExhOrt them to cease from SIM.
F'OllOWlnS the example Oh CnFlSl, go IN
person to all you know to be drunkards
and by pure love try to save both soul and
body from eternal destruction. Reform
them truly by love and kindness, never
get tired and weary. Hold everything up
to him in the light of Christ and you can
not fail to win him. Laws cannot do that
Don't sit in your cosy homes and shoot
buckshot at either the drunkard or the
saloonkeeper. That will only make them
worse. Don't ask them to go to church,
they have become too often. Mr.. Dom
nelly rightly says, 'pest-houses." Don't
send h m to a preacher. He is sometimes a
hypocrite. The poor tramp gets very little
blessing at their hands; the gold calf re-
ceives the most attention. 1t is horrible
to call this kind of stuff true Christianity.
1t is deviltry. Don't ask the Peoples par
ty to take upon itself any of the burden
of fighting the whisky traffic 1t has more
than enough to do to defend the pr;nci-
pies of the Omaha platform in it's present
shape, rather than add more to it. We can
get at the roots of our evils with it in it's
present form, and all side branches can
then be easily fixed.
The PrOhibitionists have been very mea-
ger supporters Of the Peoples party cause
so far. When their candidate for governor
was making his canvasing speeches before
the election last fall It is understood he
supported the election Of the Republican
legislators. If that be the case the whole
Prohibitionist reform can be condensed
| in the following sentence. Drink no whis-
| ky but let us worship the golden calf.
| Drinking whisky must be prohibited by
| law, but starvation of millions of the in
dustrial classes is necessity in order to
make the rich richer and the poor poorer"
| 1t is pretty hard to believe that party
| voters can be SO sound asleep as not to
| feel something of the effeo>s of the sor-
| rows and miseries they are guilty of hav-
! ing wrought upon down trodden humanity.
| Are you going to face the almighty God
| on the millenn.al day and tell him Here 1
| am: have mercy on me. You know have
/ always hated Donnelly, because he was
| trying to elevate the down trodden class.