Backbone. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. ;) 1897-1906, 1905-06-01
WHY | AM A PARTY PROHIBI-
ZIONIST


Because a license party does not
represent my convictions or my views.
My party is my agent, representative
and servant in the administration of
government. What | do by any party,
do by myself. If my agent licenses
saloons, so do /.
Because | throw away my vote when
vote with party that does not rep
resent my views. But my vote is
never thrown away when I vote my
convictions.
Because license is system of con-
sent to a wicked thing-the drunkard
factory and the vice factory, for a
price paid in hand. When I consent
to tit becomes mine morally.
Because license means the continu
ance of the saloon. To do this | can
not consent. To this I do consent
when I vote with a political party COM
mitted to the license policy.
Because I refuse to confuse "aboli-
ticn of the drink habit" with pro
hibition of the licensed liquor traffic. :"
The Prohibition party is not after the
drink habit. 1t seeks to take away
the protection of the saloon by the
law. Without this protection the sa-
loon would be an outlaw-what it
ought to be.
Because / repudiate the generally
accepted idea that voter should ally
himself with party that has chance
of immediate success at the polls If he
would have his vote count. This idea
is the cardinal tenet of the faith of
the demagogue and partisan and it is
foreign to the real intent and purpose
and use of the ballot. 1t is not my
duty to win elections. Why? Be-
cause I can not That result is con-
tingent upon the actions of other vot-
ers.' 1t is my duty to vote my views
and convictions. When | seek after
the winner in election l an quite sure
to go with the multitude to do evil.
Because the license system is a ma
tional policy, national crime and a
national curse. The two great part
les refuse to permit me to speak on
this matter through them. Therefore
speak through the only political
channel open for my convictions to
find expression.
Because the church of which | am
proud to be a member-the Methodist
Episcopal-in her supreme court and
her legislature in 1892 and in 1900
said: "No political party has right
to expect nor ought it to receive the
support of Christian men so long as
it stands committed to the license po-
licy or refuses to put itself on record
in an attitude of open hostility to the
saloon" And also, because it en-
dorsed the utterance of it's bishops
when they said, "The liquor traffic
can never be legalized without sim
Because this question is greater
than any other three now before the
public. Count men, money or morals,
and it involves more than any ques-
ton ever before our people. More
than billion dollars will be worse
than wasted by this business this year.
By it 100000 men will be sent to hell
this year. And in morals, nothing can
so debauch the public conscience as
consenting to vice for fee.
Because I vote for what William
Window, late secretary of the treas
ury, declared when he said: Con
sidered socially, financially, politically
or morally, the licensed liquor traffic
is or ought to be the overwhelming
issue in American politics. The de-
struction of this iniquity stands next
on the worlds calendar"
Because this is a political question
and I must be in politics if l am to
touch it. And here 1 endorse the
words of Bishop Haven of blessed
memory, when he spoke of slavery:
ct is one of the devices of Satan by
which he seeks to harden your hearts
against the truth and make you deaf
to your duty against the greatest sin
of this or any age-that the servant
of Christ must not expose it, because
forsooth it has compelled a political
party to become its most active slave.
What is this consecrated politics that
it is beyond the reach of the Word
of God and too sacred to be condemned
NV 4in2 Awav with cuch hIaSnhem-