The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-08-17
N 'ELROy MAKES STATE.
MENT IN REGARDS TO
PROHIBITION MOVEMENT
Editor Tucumcari News,

Editor Tucumcari News,
Dear Sir
PreSuming upon your liberality in
the past, ! beg to again use the col
umns of the News to make state
ment in reference to the Prohibition
movement:
First, permit me to say that ] did
not anticipate that my resignation
from the Republican Party would be
the occasion Of any considerable com
ment. II has been known for a long
time that my greatest political inter
est is centered in Prohibition. ] have
come to the place where | can best
work in that party, and do not care
to be bound to support the party can
didateS in any party who do not stand
for the things | stand for. | have
been accused Of being party traitor
because ] worked in the party right
up to the time of my resignation. ]
am not aware that have injured the
Republican cause in any way. On the
contrary ! helped To get the declara-
tion in the Resolutions favoring the
submission Of Prohibition Amend
mcnt. and in regard to that, the Demo
Gratis thought so well of il, that they
likewise followed the example. That
is something new in Quay county poll
tics. | want TO say this. though. ! did
not aS Republican, vote in the Dem
ocratic primary, taking the pledge on
the back of the Primary Ticket that
| had affiliated with that party, and
thus interfering with the rights Of the
Democrats to elect their own party
| ticket am not an issue before the
people and | will not have the time
nor take the trouble to answer fur
ther any personal criticisms directed
to me.
One of my very best friends has
stated to me that he feared had made
Il mistake in my actions, that ] had
| injured my chances for future political
success. ! want to say that my prin-
ciples are not in any way controlled
by future prospects of political sue
cess in personal way. ] ask no po-
litical Office as reward for public
service, and well know that the cause
of Prohibition is far too great cause
for me to detract from, by anything
that | might do. Ii | make mistakes
in my zeal for prohibition, and who Of
US do not, just attribute them tn me
personally and not to the cause of
prohibition.
| For the first time in generation
the prohibition issue was officially pre-
scented and considered by three great
political parties committees on reso-
lutions. The Republican committee
registered a unanimous vote against
the proposition, and the Progressive
committee registered thirteen votes in
favor, with IA strong majority against.
The most significant news item con-
tanned in the reports from the Pro-
gressive national convention is that
the chief argument against the intro
ducton of prohibition plank in its
platform was that PROHIBITION
WOULD BECOME THE ONE GREAT
ISSUE OF THE CAMPAIGN, SUB
ORIGINATING ALL OTHERS TO IT.
lSELF." The same statement was long
ago attributed TO President Wilson,
and has become accepted as current
coin by many of the most clever pol
iticians. The great parties have turn
ed down the paramount issue for the
next four years, and in the issue of
greatest moment to me, find no place
to stand except upon the truly great
platform Of the Prohibition Party.
The fundamental difference between
the Democratic party and Republican