Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-07-20
PROHIBITION PARTYS PROGRESS.

PROHIBITION PARTY@S PKOGKEss.
 The prohibition convention now III session in St Paul is the twelfth na- tional convention held hy the party for the nomination of candidates for president and vice president. since the first convention held at Columbus, February 22, 1872, the zeal of those who attribute all the social, mora and economic distress of the world to the liquor habit has never abated. Regularly. every four years, the Pro- lfibisionists have put a natiohai ticket ia the field, only to sec 1t overwhelmingly defeated at election time.
 The St Paul convention is attract ing far more attention from the gen eral public than has any previous convention held by the foes Of the liauor traffic. several substahtlai reasons exist for the increased atten- tio, given the convention. In the first place, the liquor question IS bigger issue in this country today than ever before. indisputable evil dence of this exists on all sides, with the ever lengthening column of "dry" states furnish ing proof positive or the fact.
 l Henceforth, if the plans Of the leaders are carried out at St. Paul.
 the prohibition party will not longer he one, to the charge that it IS a , party of one idea. The national plat form to be adopted this week Will
 deal with many lives and important issues other than the suppression oi
 the liouor traffic, though the declara-
 tions against the rum evil" will, o,
 course. form the main plank Of the lrlatform. Woman suffrage, peace aho Ipreparedness, the danger of hyphen' ated Americanism, and wide va riety of other issues that are 'agitat ing the public at the present time VII receive attention in the platform
 declarations. And these declarations will be framed in manner caiculatee
 ito attract many votes.
 The possibility of an alliance DC
 tween the prohibitionists and tn
 staad-pat faction of the Progressive
 is another source of worry for tn
 older parties. The mere sussestio o: such an alliance furnishes strikln 3 evidence of the practical turn Una l has been given the direction Of tn Prohibition rarty managema mt thi year. whether or not the merger l formally consummated it is regarde 5 as a certainty that the ProhibltloIlst will make strong bid for the sup l port of the irreconcilable Progress t siyes at the polls in November.
 The situation as it eiXsts toda! t with reference to the relations pe l tween the prohibitionists and the tw
 older parties. was accurately fore n casted many years ago in the WITH
 ;nes of James Bryce. Speaking of tn S Prohibition party and it's activities F, a subject of practical interest t e wideawake politicians of the tw x Wdat parties, MT. Bryce wrote; :. Aafhe number of persons WHO al q thoroughgoing Prohibtionists an . pure Prohibitionists-tha is to sa . who fare not also Republicans
 Dem6crats-is small, far too small o leyen when re-enforced by sectlo
 of the temperance men and by di oontented Republicans or Democra who may dislike the regular cand dates of their party. to give the Pf'
 hibition ticket chance of success
 any state.
 "rhe importance of the Prohibltie ,e, ticket lies in the fact that Tn , doubtful state it may draw aWs enough votes from one of the reg ~. lar candidates to leave him ln u ip minority. MT. Blaine probably su ID fered ia this way in the election e. 1884 most of the votes cast for u or Prohibitionst candidate l.aVlng con V from auondan Republicans. On Il rd other hand, a case may be imagine .i- in which the existence of an outi nt or safety valve, such as the Prohi' in tionist ticket, would prevent u
 bolters from one party from takii the more dangerous course or Votil lg for the candidate of the opposl h. party"