The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-11-28
MISTAKEN PROHIBIIIONIsIs.
- REv. -. FoRTNEY.

your issue Oh NUNSmUCk tAAt ASSASS
the statement that some very good
Republicans "regret" their having
voted the Prohibition ticket at the
recent election.
The statement is undoubtedly true,
as no voter ever had better intentions
or made greater mistake than the
average third party Prohibitions. He
claims for himself the personal and
very exceptional distinction of voting
as be prays' while the effect Of his
ballot will always count for Satan and
the Rum-seller's second choice. The
other members Of the allied forces
land the only one to profit by it, well
know (if their less sagacious Prohibi-
tionlst's voter does notl that in order
to destroy the parent and friend Of
temperance laws they must destroy
the Republican party; not that said
party is much nearer perfection than
are preachers and church members
who lack the courage to help enforce
temperance laws, but 1t is the party
which has placed on the statute books
all the prohibitory laws that have
been made in at least all the north
ern states-and Of the two leading
parties in West Virginia. all know it
is much the better friend of the tenn
perance cause.
The writer of this communication
notices that the Republican majority
In his native county Of Harrison came
down very nearly to the 'danger-line"
at the recent election, while at least
one loyal Republican and hitherto
worthy servant OF the peoples best
interests, was defeated.
That nearly all Of the Prohibition.
lists. contributed to this result may
be safely assumed; aud that many Of
them in their not wise zeal, could
easily have found 1t IN their hearts to
rejoice, had the party most noted for
It's opposition to the temperance cause
been victorious. Had such been the
result, wherein would the cause Of
prohibition been the gamer While
there are some individual Democrats
who favor prohibitory laws, the party,
as such, may be counted upon to OPP
pose such legislation. To whom, then,
must the Prohibition party turn for
nearly 5000 more votes To insure it's
success in Harrison county
Is unreasonable tosuppose that such
a number of votes from the Republic
can party, or even from both Of the
leading parties, would desert all their
other issues and join party of but
one issue, however worthy ? The very
history of the Prohibition party itself
answers in the negative.
In the national campaign of 1884,
the Prohibitionists claimed they did
not expect to elect st. John that year,
but that they would elect President
in 1883, In fact, they have all the way
along been known more for the prog
reSs Of their claims and the utter ex-
travagance of their hopes than for
their wisdom. Some of their women
as we'll as some of their very womanly
temperance men, tell US that when
they succeed in electing a Prohlbi-
ton President, the liquor traffic is
doomed" They do not seem to realize
that no prohibitory measure could be-
come part of our national constitu-
tion without receiving a two-thirds
majority of both houses OF congress,
and then would have to be ratified by
three.fourths of all the states; and
that even then the laws would have
to be enforced before they would ac-
tually prohibit the liquor TRAFFIC.
If all who, in seeking to be good,
fail to be wise in casting their votes,
and are lacking In the necessary cour-
age to help.enforce present prohibitory
laws, would attend the primaries
and help nominate and elect good
Temperance men for Office, who would
enforce present laws, they would ac-
complish vastly more good than by
voting as they pray"-in the air at
nothing
The past summer, the Republicans
of our county lin Vermont nominal
ed men for Office who have been thor
oughly tested, both as to their loyalty
to and courageous support of our pro.
hibitory laws. The Democrats and
neutrality-suspicious. supported "tu
sion ticket at the polls, The So
called Prohibitionists cast nearly 400
votes for candidates of their own
choosing instead d supporting the
splendid ticket nominated by the pro.
hibition Republicans. The result was
that the candidates favorable to open
saloons were all elected, which renders
the enforcement of our prohibitory
law a hopeless task for the next two
years, and the third party Prohibition
lists have no body to thank or blame
for the dreadful results Of their folly,
not to say treason, to the cause they
vainly profess to love, but themselves.
They evidently voted as the RumSel-
ler's prayed, and received the Rum
,1Jov,r LI.,,i,,c, row put lilo rasultS