The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-08-03
Almost Let the cat ont

Almost Let the Cat Ont.
Notwithstanding the puzzle the
Democratic state convention put in
It's platform as to the prohibition
1 question. John w. LAWS, one of the
Democratic leaders from this conn.
! ty, almost let the cat out of the bag,
when in placing the name of Thomas
d. Hodges before the convention for
governor, he uttered these words:
4 lyon ask me whether he Is ex-
IRENE on the temperance question,
and / answer you that. he IS a tenn
,perance man, but temperate man
as well; that he is temperate in his
temperance views, nor does he be-
lleve that prohibition is or should be
made tenet Of the Democratic creed.
He denies to no man the right to
think and act for himself; nor would
he as executive ever invade the
province of the legislature to seek to
coerce them to any policies of his
own"
The liquor question, it is noticed,
Is one the Democrats are touching on
very lightly and in some Instances
they are stunning 1t altogether, in
] deed, running away from it.
The reference made by Davis as to
the attitude and belief of the candi-
date, whom he hoped to see nominal
ed. 1t is logical to believe. was in
spired by desire to appeal strongly
to the sentiment of the convention,
and Davis must have been cognizant
of the attitude OF his party on the
question. else he would not have
made this half apology for his can
didate or compromised him as one
willing to violate his convictions,
which are known to be quite pro-
nounced, for partly expediency.
In the utterance for his candidate
that he did not believe prohibition is
or should be made tenet of the
Democratic creed, Davis, in conhec-
ton with the fact that the platform
attempts to completely mystify on
this subject. clears up the plank to
a certain extent, that is, to say, his
party fears to go before the people
with an open declaration that it has
any belief on this subject or would
act for or against the liquor ques-
ton, or in any wise regulate or pro-
hibit or restrict the traffic by law,
were It voted into power.
In truth, the Democratic party as
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utterance and the platform straddle
does not regard the liquor question
Of any moment in this state and,
consequently accepts the present Re-
publican laws on the subject as ample
and sufficient. At least for party
expediency that is the impression it
desires to make.
But, there is duplicity of action,
made plain by the action OF the party
in the selection of men for the legls-
lature. This duplicity was clearly
established here a few weeks ago,
and this one instance is sufficient to
convince Telegram readers OF it,
when Goodlce Jackson. an avowed
y h0kkAhA$tdukSA2 was SllOSGu NY Tue
Democratic senatorial convention as
nominee for the state senate, and
without any platform or declaration
of principles and policies by the con-
vention.
In this case the purpose is to use
the reputation Of the nominee as a
Prohlbitionist to win the prohibition
and temperance vote, and to seek
the liquor support through the alb
sence of any platform declaration
against the liquor traffic or on the
question, whatever.
i These and other features of the
action OF Democracy and its leaders
reveal to every mind the double
game Democracy is attempting on
the people, and the cat is really no
longer in the bag. nor is the bill OF
rights clause in the state platform
longer a puzzle.