Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-04-06
COmment on State Wide Issue
New Party Alignment.

hat an account of the failure of
,bo recent legislature passing its
c,.,e.wide measure 1t will, IN
fnture. support only such candi-
J.,os as will agree TO do the bid
limo Of the League has brought
fortb the question from many as
10 whether or not this means a
now alignment of the two leading
rolitical parties, or the advent of a
new. A third, party in State politics.
To rs it does. or should, mean the
latter although it would appear
;mpossible for the ordinary man
+, interpret just what is the pur-
,oses of the League at all times.
In the beginning of its activity in
Virginia it appeared to have for
its purpose the driving out of the
saloons, since it appeared that the
social feature was the greatest evil.
It's very name implies this To
call these people prohibitionist a
short while ago was To incur
rebuke to the effect that they
we're not prohibitionist, but anti
saloonist. More recently. how
ever. they come out boldly and
declare that complete prohibition,
with all the name signifies, is their
object.
With such declaration as this,
we can't Just understand how they
can avoid placing candidates of
their own in the different legisla-
tive districts when the time comes
for the election of a new Legisla-
ture. We can't see how they can
90 into Democratic or Republican
primary when they are on record
beforehand as not to intending to
support any man who will not sup
portStatewide prohibition. While
we regret to see this on the part Of
large number of those who are
sincere advocates of temperance,
but who have been among those
doing valiant work in the Demo
cratic party, believing they will in
time see the error of their way, we
can only say, depart in peace. "
For these we have no word of CEN
sure do they believe the time has
arrived for them to forsake the
party that has given them what
temperance legislation has been
secured, but which hesitates to GO
to extremes in adopting innova-
tlons in legislation not comparable
with the tenets of the party nor
with the experience of mankind in
general.
But there are Others whose Dem.
ocracy has ever been a question
with the leading members of thai
Party, since it has has been knowr
that with them the single idea o.
prohibition was all they were after
Some of these have been known [,
vote the Prohibition ticket wheI
Democratic votes were needed fo
the preservation of good order o
society, as great a moral necessit,
as the expulsion of the liquo
traffic. They refused to vote tn
Democratic ticket at that tim
when their vote for prohibition wa
thrown away, and no good coul
come with its being cast with tina
political party. AS great mors
Issue was at stake at that time a
mas been since in the securing an
preservation of the conduct of tn
government by those capable of il
administration. These came int
the Democratic party when by til
new Constitution it was shown tn.
that party had secured firm contro
Tor the then present, at least,
The reins of State government
They saw that it was only throue
and by the Democratic party tn
they could hope to secure anythir
they wished accomplished.
long as they were permitted
ulctate just how the party shou
be run, they were good Democrat
"hen those who could not agr
with them in their ultra ideas call,
malt and asked for further co
Slueration before deviating fro
'ne paths laid down for the guidan
o' The party from its birth to {
present time, they become
longer members of the party, b
must cut loose and make their fig
upon the single issue. For the
we can only say: You have sho,
Your hand: 90 vour w.v
IL Is not within the province
'"e Courier to read any man 4
set OF men out of the Democra