Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-02-01

Chicago. ILL.,, Dec. ~25.-Packed with
events OF startling import the year
1909 closes it's blue hook" with a rec
ord that will fix ii for al time In the
annals Of progress rs IL year Of historic
and even epochal Significance. Japan's
humbling Of the proudest despOtism OF
Europe seems to have leen the signal
for spontaneous revolt against every
despotism of graft or trade or politics
anywhere. aud no people have seemed
10 sensitive to the spirit Of such an
Impulse or 40 quick to respond to it's
appeal AZ the American nation. After
more than IL decade Of spiritual stagna-
ton latent popular enthusiasm for
moral issues las again burst all bounds
Of political and commercial restraint.
In all this the liquor question has
forced itself to the front in a thou
sand different phases. In every battle
with graft and bOssism its vital con-
nection has become evident and the
prohibitiOnist has won the attention Of
the people as never before. In q timely
feature Of the latest National Probibi-
ton Alliance programme National
Chairman Charles II. Jones Of that
movement discusses the theme, what
Has Been Won This Year" in IN open
letter to the American people. Every
paragraph of this discussion deals with
these current events In 30 graphic q
way as to be Of general interest. The
open letter IL as follows:
Chicago, III.
ITO the People Of America:
.'The severest criticism ever brought
against the Prohibition party has been
that it has uncompromlsingly demand
ed the immediate and total destruction
Of u business supposed to be firmly In
trenchcd in trade and politics and So
cial customs aud that it has kept on ar
b,trarily c%ha,npionlng extreme meas
ttes where less radical proposals would
have easily secured popular support
III short, that the party was u FOR
lorn hope" because. Oh principle. its
headers refused to trim Its sails to ev'
cry shifting breeze 81 shortsighted ex'
bediency add. ignoring the petty bucs
cancers Of TRAIT who swarmed on ev'
Try side. deliberately trained It's gun.
upon the flagship Of organized govern
ment protected vice and crime-the u
censed liquor trafic Of America.
..Unconvfenising" Attitude Wlnt:
To-day, as we enter the Christmas
tide Of 1906. our hearts should rejolc,
that the developments Of one shor
twclvemonth have silenced our critic
and. with the emphasis Of momentum
current events. proved the statesman
ship Of our principles. the wlsdUM o
uncompromising position alfd tn
certainty Of rapidly approaching tri
lmrh for cause.
.'Fbr the first time In u generation II
hl moral issues. trecipitated by III
people themselves. have dominated til
important political campaigns Of ever,
section of the country. There have bee
times when clever politicians. to cate
the popular fancy. have decked out tn
stale s0rdid themes OF trade and tarll
and money in all tile attributes of grea
moral questions. or cls3 have sought {
enliven the canvass with made to Orde
moral issues as Imaginary Is they wer
insincere. But no politician ever detel
mined the issues Of nm on year elcctio
In which. as the returns Of the vot
of Nov. Z show. 100000 voters brok
through party ties md voted with a
independence that has astonished pr,
fessional forecasters and confCunde
liquor made bosses of both old partie
with Significant inTart!ality.
Revolution u Mplit nallets."
.s"Last yc.r the presidential elcctio
was made notable by the discovery q
hundreds IT thousands Of split ballot,
(which in, several stistes gave the cleo
s oral vote tn ono party. while it's rlv.
secured Important state Offices. TIL
was a remarkable record. 1t struck
hew note Of political independence.
WIS largely prompted by the comman,
Ing personalities Of certain candidatt
81 the opposing parties. But this yes
the extraordinary factor ip the cal
vass has been principle and moral a
3Auslaim. rather than personality I
A1eo woeslip. How. Has this bee
0tUushf Ahonti 1HG year has bee
<ae4ed cverncTihg with graft e.
&1spk ih~Sl1&ixafi5n Of political CO
4ptceedGntcd movements {,
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