The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-08-23
THE PROHIBITION PLATFORM

THE PROHIBITION PLATFORM
A subscriber away back In Ohio
writes complaining. that | have moi
mentioned the prohibition platforms
which, In his opinion, is the best one
that has been promulgated.
| viii admit without argument thai
the platform put out by the prohbi
tion party is fine document. As a
declaration of principles 1t Will com
pare favorably with any platform that
has been issued, The delegates who
made up that platform would probably
rank higher In personal character on
the average than the delegates who
have met in any other convention this
year. They were people of high Ideals
and clean lives.
However, the Prohibition party has
ben in existence for a generation. 1t
was holding national conventions
wehn men who are now on the borders
OF old age were little boys. AS a po-
litjcal party 1t has shown no growth.
II polled nearly twice as many votes
eS years ago as it did four years ago
or as ii win probably poll this year
What is the trouble? The sentiment
in favor OF prohibition has grown tre.
mendousy during the past 2S years,
but the prohibition party has made no
growth at all and seems even to have
grown weaker. II is evident that there
are millions of people who favor the
abolition of the liquor traffic who be-
lieve that II can be accomplished bet
ter through other agencies than the
organization of a political party
Possibly they are mistaken. viii
have no quarrel with the gentleman
who writes the letter will admit
the high character of the men and wo.
men who make up his party and the
high character of the platform adopt
ed. have simply not been convinced
that could do most good for my state
and country by voting with that party.
II the writer of the letter thinks so
that is what he ought to do.
want to impress on the mind of
every reader first that he resolve 10
cultivate love OF justice and truth
and righteousness and TO do what he
can to help along the adoption OF
those principles into his government,
state. national and local. want him
to endeavor to disabuse his mind as
far as possible of prejudice and SUI.
perstition. want him to give the
best thought there is in him to the
study of problems Of government, and
| want him to study the questions
with open mind, with charity for the
opinions OF his fellowmen. Then when
1t comes time to vote want him to
obey the dictates of his enlightened
conscience as a sovereign American
citizen
lf he conscientioasly believes that
he can best serve his country by vot-
ing the prohibition ticket, he should
do 81. II he believes that he can
serve his country best by voting the
democratic ticket, that is the ticket
he ought to vote, II ne believes con,
scientiously that 1t is for the best in-
terests Of the country that the new
progressive party prevail, he should
vote that ticket II he thinks that
the socialist party offers the best so
lutlon Of the problems that confront
as, let him vote the socialist ticket,
and il he believes that he can serve
his country best by voting for Taft,
let him vote for Taft.
viii have no quarrel With any
maa who tries 70 do his duty as an
American citizea honestly and con
scientlously and with an open miad
seeking the truth. Tom Mcneil