Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1909-02-05
Public Ir terest i'm the Pro-
hibition Amendment.

INTEREST OF VOTERS o. TIE IN
CREASE ELECTION TURNED oS TEN
PERANcE-PLEpGEs OF PoLITIcALzs
ARrIEs-sENATog CARTER
THINKS THEY SHOULD
BE kEPT.
Charlestown, w. Va.
Feb. 1909
The interest of the voters in the pas
sage of the prohii ition amendment
resolution seems TO be on the increase.
Letters are pouring in on the senators
and representatives, as well as the
Anti.Saloen League headquarters, by
the thousands. Influential business
and professional men from all over the
state are calling at the League office
to express their interest and offer sug-
gestions as to how success may be at
tanned. Petitions have come in by the
bushel, and when they are presented
to the legislature there will be at least
so, 900 signatures If voters attached. In
addition a great many voters are writ
ing direct To their Senators and Rep
resentatlves.
VOTERS DEMANDED PLEDGES.
Still more significant is the etthat
in several cases at the recent state cleo
ton candidates for certain offices were
defeated because they were opposed to
the Submission Of the amendment or
the voters were Suspicious of them in
that regard. In several instances the
minority party elected Representatives
and members of the County Board on
the liquor issue. In almost every
county in the state the people demand
ed of candidates for the House or Sen
ate that they declare their attitude on
the sub mi ssion question.
POLITICAL PARTIES PLEDGED SUB
MISSION.
1t is only a few months since the
great political parties held their state
conventions. They were then so con-
WINGED of the interest of the voters in
the temperance question that they
adopted, for the first time in many
years, strong planks promising sub
mission of the prohibition amendment.
The republicans went even further,
promising the enactment of county
local option law. There are, tc be sure,
these who are advocating the repudia-
tionlof at least part of those pledges;
but it is not credible that these
who scared their election by solemn
" promising their continents that
they would fulfill their party's pledge
will now betray the confidence of
their friends and neighbors. The voters
generally and the average Senator and |
Representative agree most heartily /
with the following language Ex-senator
Carter, of Montana, ussd in speech |
madela few days ago in the q. s. Sen
ate, Iw bile. discussing the billte estas-
lish aspostal savings system:
. III
PARTY. PLEDGES.
"The people of the country can only
impress the Congress and the ENecu-
tive through certain we'll known iaeth-
eds Of expression. We have become |
aligned, into parties, standing for GER
tain definite things upon which we go
to trial from time to time before the !,
electorate.
at So happened, Mr.. President that
all parties ia this county with one ac-
cord and without dissenting voice,
their delegates csming fresh |
from the American people, pronounced
in favor of the establishment OF pos
tai saving system. The National
Grange, embracing the great body OF
the farming communities Of the coun-
try, 10000, 900 freemsn, the bsns. and
sinew of the Republic, pronounced in
favor of this kind of legislation; and
vet the Senator, in the presence of the
public press, in spite of the pronounce
ments of all the national conventions, |
to us that the American
people are ruling the country, but
they cannot have this thing"
Certain ly the above is applicable to
the pledges of the political parties in
West Virginia ia regard to the sub
mission Of the prohibition amend
ment.