Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-24
PLATFORM OR CANDIDATE
tSioux City Tribune.1

Republicans Of Iowa. in their state
platform declare that there shall be
no backward step" on prohibition.
The Tribune has not the slightest de-
sire to question the honesty of the mass
OF Iowa republicans on the subject Of
prohibition. The majority of them are
against saloons.
In the matter of formulating plat
forms and in carrying out policies. how
ever, the business is entrusted to few
people. 1t is duty and privilege of
rank and file citiZens-the voters-to
ascertain whether the platforms and
candidates ring true.
Too much reliance should not be
placed in the assurance of no back
ward step" in a political platform. This
statement is not guarantee; it is just
sounding soother
In the state convention OF 1883 the
Iowa republicans formally adopted pro-
hibition as party tenet basing
claim to ownership on the pledge of
1879 to submit the issue to the people.
AS the prohibitory amendment had re-
ceived majority Of 29,974 the previ-
GUS year this action seemed to be fully
in line with practical politics, to say
nothing of moral opportunities and OBJ
legations. Sioux City newspapers Of
;hat period report that the temper
ance plank was cheered and re-
cheered"
Two years later, in 1885, the republic
cans declared that they would take nc
backward step" on prohibition. This
was considered triumph of moral
courage and the party and men outside
of the party who had contributed to
| the splendid majority given to the pro-
hibition constitutional amendment,
| cheered as feelingly as did the prohi-
| bitionists in that convention.
No doubt the honest rank and file of
the party considered the question set
tied and out of politics. 1t certainly ap-
peared that way. But the interested
people did not give up. They knew
how parties are led and misled They
united their vote with the democrats.
| which was weak minority party at
| that time, and captured it. Then to-
gether, they captured the offices. I'M
| mediately the Office holders, from coro-
ner and sheriff to governor, began to bid
| for the vote that had gone to the dem
ocrats and elected q democrat to the
governorship, and finally the party be-
came SO shaken that the supreme court,
by technical opinion, destroyed that
constitutional amendment and the party
did take backward step and substi-
| tuted the mulct law for the verdict Of
the people on the constitutional amend
| ment.
This bit of history is to Illustrate
1 he 4 -
| in party as the parties are apt to
claim. This year the two party plat
forms are practically alike. Each plat
form pledges the submission of the pro-
hibitory amendment by the 1917 legis-
| lative session.
The democratic candidate E. T. Mer-
| edith, is an out and out prohibitionist
! with better record on the subject than
has the republican candidate.
Mr.. Harding stated to the conven-
| ton that he would stand on the plat
form, altho in previous public utter
| ances he has not advocated prohibition.
nor in his record as a public official
| has he shown friendliness for the
cause. Even in processing to accept
the republican platform, either thru ac-
| cident or design, Mr.. Harding ignored
the subject Of prohibition and listed
himself as an advocate of temperance"
Note his use of that word
| Many individuals profess to believe
that saloons promote temperance The
Iowa republican convention in 1910
preached Temperance" while holding
fast to the theory of licensed saloons.
| This means that sincere men must
] think for themselves and act as their
consciences suggest. Il certainly seems