The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-24
Passing OF the Prohibition Party.

TO the Editor of the indianapolis Journal
The announcement of a Thanksgiving
jubilee at Plymouth Church by the Proh-
hilton party, in commemoration of the
fact that the vote of that party in Indiana
has decreased from 1850 in 1892 to 1881 in
1885, might at first suggest that the Thanks
giving is because 1T has not fallen off more;
but to get at the real significance of the
jubilee it must be taken in connection with
the leading editorial Of last weeks Voice,
the national organ of the party. That pa
per, after surveying the field and finding
everywhere similar results, practically ad-
yises the disbanding of the party without
abandoning the principle of prohibition,
and uniting with the Anti-saloon League in
working up a prohibition sentiment and
organizing a political force in favor of the
enactment and enforcement of better and
better anti-saloon laws, as public opinion
demands, but without a political party. 1t
starts out with the compound question::
where does the Prohibition movement
stand to-day? Is it growing or losing?
Which is answered by the returns received
from Indiana and everywhere. 1t then
says: mo one is satisfied with the degree
CT progress OF the last few years" OF
course not. In 1856 the party gave 294, SS3
votes. while in 1896 it gave only 1873 442 having
fallen off more than one-half the vote in
Ten years. anu DIT us pest giving less than
5 per cent. OF the aggregate vote of the
Nation. 1t would be hard to be satisfied
with that kind of progress. The editorial
proceeds to say that the events of the last
ten years showed that no public sentiment
exists deep enough and broad enough to
enforce prohibition, though the Voice had
heretofore assumed that such q sentiment
existed and that all il needed was to be
aroused and organized. adding: I'VE were
mistaken, and, what is a more momentous
fact the methods employed the last few
years are inadequate to create such a senti-
ment as is required. We are not making
any such visible Roadway i'm the political
field as warrants us in assuming that these
methods Will do the work required In the
future"
1t does not fully outline its future policy.
but says; THE time for timid conserva-
tiSm is past: the time for bold and inn
petuous movement has come" leaving the
reader to infer that all true Prohibitionists
will now address themselves to the educa-
ton OF the pople up to the sentiment neces-
sary to procure and then enforce prohibit
ton along the line so successfully worked
by the Anti-saloon League, whose central
OF the Sa,oOn that existing laws Will be
enforced and better laws enacted. as the
defects Of these become apparent, not COM
promising the opinion that prohibition is
the only right thing when public opinion
is ready to obtain and then sustain it, and
then adds: THE next few weeks will toll
the rest OF the story. We are going to
In the light of this editorial it is easy to
see why the Prohibition party should hold
a Thanksgiving jubilee; II means new
ment" When the hundred thousand earn
est men, who for a decade or more have
stood upon Pisgah and shouted to their
brethren to come up and take a peep at
the promised land and have scolded be-
cause they would not consent 10 come
down where the people live and labor to
prepare them for the higher plane some
thing worth iubilating for will happen.
indianapolis, Nov -. Y. l.. SEE.