Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-12-01
CHEERFUL
View Of Situation by the
PrOhibitionists.
Claim to Have a Great Deal to be
Thankful For.


My attention has been called to an
editorial in the Beacon Journal of
Nov. %, in which occurs statements so
misleading that I have asked that
paper to print my reply thereto. And
believing that your readers will be
interested to know the facts in the
case. and to be able to Judge for them
selves whether said editorial was not
intended to mislead and befog the
readers of that paper, ask the Dem
ocrat also to open it's columns to me
for reply.
The Beacon Journals editorial said:
1T Is difficult TO see what is causing
this mad rejoicing on the part of party
Prohibitionists over their vote cast in
Ohio this year" The editor then pro,
ceeds in q sort of horse before the-cart
fashion, to show the large Prohibition
vote during the years 1883 to 1895, In
elusive, and the comparatively small
vote this year. But why did he stop
with the year 1895 If he did not wish
| to mislead his readers? The vote Of
| 1896 Is the key to the present situation
and throws flood Of light on the ques,
| tion. Why do Prohibitionists rejoice
And the editor knows this, but it
would spoil his editorial to tell the
truth, the whole truth and nothing but
the truth and he thinks he can, af-
ford to be unfair toward minor
party.
Then why does the editor suppose
our rejoicing is for Ohio alone? Ohio
is not "the whole thing" Our patriot
ism is not hemmed in by State lines.
We rejoice In the recovery and growth
of the party in other States and espe-
cially in the doubling Of the National
Prohibition vote.
Now the causes of our rejoicing are
much in evidence when the case is
fairly stated. What are the facts?
1. Ohio WAS the storm center Of the
terrific fight over the money question
in 1896, and on account of this and by
reason of certain unwise leadership,
our party in Ohio was knocked into
"smithereens," and our vote slumped
from 21,264 in 1892, to little over
5000 in 1896.
2. But this result in Ohio had back
Of 1t the fact that the craze to fall
down before the money gods-the
"golden calf" standard, and the "silver
goddess" 16 to /, had been carried into
the Pittsburg convention and had rent
| In twain the National Prohibition par
| ty, so that our vote for President
slumped from 264,O00 In 1892, to $780,
600 in 1896! This left our party almost
kwithout hope, without organization,
our voters scattered to the four pollt-
ical winds Of the earth, our people dis
heartened and general party hara'
kiri came near being enacted. And
added to this, came old-party legisla-
tion in the form of the Infamous Pugh
law (Which two of the five judges con-
demned as unconstitutionaD to bur
den, harrass, and drive out the re-
form parties, by laying upon them
laborious and expensive requirements
which amounted in many cases to dis
franchisement of the individuals com
posing the party and keeping theiI
ticket off the blanket ballot. From this
condition it was hard to rally oul
forces. Probably two-thirds Of oul
voters in Ohio and large per CEN
elsewhere, organized themselves into
new party--the Nationalist-and this
element being in the saddle In Ohio
caused the "old line" men to have t.
: practically rebuild their party in this
State, rs they had but handful o.
voters as nucleus; and under tn,
names, Nationalist, Liberty Party, anC
Union Reform party, this dlsaffecte(
element has held many thousands ol
votes and even now holds a few
thousands of votes from us, but they
are more and more seeing their mis-
take and are coming back into oul
ranks where all but few leaders
properly belong, Hence there arr
clear and explicit reasons for re
Jolcing over Ohio's Prohibition vote IL
this year of grace. 1900, for the sicl
man has recovered, we have rehabi
tated our party in Ohio.
This is certainly cause for thanks
giving. But our rejoicing is nation
wide and to sum up we rejoice:
/. Because we have doubled ou
vote in Ohio and throughout the ma
tion, because We have snatched vic
tory from defeat.
9. Because we now have a unitet
and harmonious party.
3. Because we have the best of evi
dence that the party'S policy is NOR