The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-09-13

"hch II springs-the blood Of mar
tyrs And yet it is so easy 10 forf4.
this, to forget all save present leaders,
present victories. 1t is so Of the
great temperance reform. Our eyes
see only the prohibition victories OF
recent years and months and miss
the vision of the carload leaders
without which they could never have
come. What partial vision! What
ingratitudel Lest we forget"
Can Missouri forget John A..
Brooks? More than any other man
Of his generation. he advanced the
cause of prohibition in this state. He
fought when often he fought alone
He was the champion of an unpopu-
lar cause. He was called a meddler,
crank and a fanatic. 1t has been
easy in recent years to speak for
prohibition. 1t always is easy TO
climb into a band wagon. Anybody
can ride on the crest Of a wave. But
when in the sos the eloquent voice
of this prophet rang out it was heard
in the championship of "A detested
cause. Yet even so the guardians of
vested evil knew there was power in
that voice and they asked Whence
came this man."
Brooks was from Kentucky. He
was born In 1886. He was a preacher
in the Christian church and success
City and Memphis. and in London.
With the success OF these wide-rang-
ing pastorates We are not here con-
cerned, nor with his college degrees
and honors. We are thinking chiefly
Of how he helped, more than a quar-
ter century ago, to bring about the
prohibition victories of these last
months. This Is how he helped: He
gave his great eloquence to a flam-
ing indictment of the liquor traffic
and called first upon Missourians
and then the men of other states to
register at the polls their disapproval
of the evil Had he merely protested
against the saloons he would have
left no wide mark on public life. He
declared that men must back their
protests by their votes. Mere emo
tlonalism was not enough. Verbal
indictments were not enough. Only
the ballot could settle this question
and settle ii eternally right.
And so, Doctor Brooks identified
himself with the Prohibition Party.
That party, as we know. did not di-
rectly succeed but indirectly it helped
nightly. 1t registered protest. 1t
framed indictments against the liquor
traffic that, later used by other
agencies, struck home. In this cru
sade. John A. Brooks. the Western
Neal Dow. bore a prominent and
heroic part His eloquent support
of prohibition principles made him
the logical standard bearer Of that
party in his native state and in 1884
he became its candidate for governor
Of Missouri. He lost, but polled an
large vote. So forceful
vas his personality. so great his ability
as a vote getter, that two years later
ne was nominated for the vice-presi-
lency by the Prohibition Party. Its |
candidate for the presidency that year
vas Gen. Clinton 3. Fisk. a national |
igure Of commanding girth But so
arge bulked the Missourian that the |
icket was not infrequently spoken OF
ls the "Brooks-Fisk" ticket. That
;ear the vote Of the Prohibition Party |
cached its highest mark. The con-
est between the Democratic and Re-
publican parties was tense and the
'oters We're urged not to throw
away" their votes on "sideshow,
,ut nevertheless the Fisk-Brooks
ticket polled more than three hun
lred thousand votes.
Doctor Brooks toured the country
n that campaign. and the force and
ervor of his stump appeals contribut-
d largely to the resulting victory,
or victory 1t was, although again he
ost
A few years later Doctor Brooks
eft America to be pastor of the
Vest End Tabernacle. London, and
he party with which he had identi-
led himself was no longer to be
Ieartened by his powerful advocacy.
hat party was destined never to
now the feel of the wreath of vic
ory, yet no man can say that, al
hough dead, its voice did not speak
n the acts of the immortal Thirty
tx" that so amended the constitution
( the United States that intoxicants
nav no longer be manufactured,
ought or sold beneath the Stars and
trlpes.
Reading today his speeches OF ac-
eptance of the high position OF lead
rship one cannot fail TO be struck
Y their prophecies For every gain
today by the "drys" as a
asult OF this amendment was outlined
l those letters more than a quarter
entury ago. Witness this as 10
abor and Capital:
"It would go toward an ADJUST
lent of existing differences between
apital and Labor, Upon the one
and the useless expenditures for
ink being cut off would bring COM
,rt and independence to the laborer
nd, on the other more competent
bor and greater profits TO the capi-
list. Dry up the rum shops and
and labor strikes. as
ell as the tyranny OF capital. Will
, things of the past" The vast In
,stment OF the liquor traffic turned
TO the agricultural and manufac- q
lring interests OF the country would >
We lucrative employment to many :
iousands OF laborers and new life &c !
,ery department OF business" .
Through II all he knew how diff .
III was his undertaking, yet he was ,
ldaunted. .
you may beat US at the polls .
: letter concludes. but neverthe- .
IS We shall not despair nor falter 3
r one instant in our battle FOR God s
I'd home and native land" 8
Brave leader! His eyes are holden 8
death and yet we can but feel that 9
mellow he has the vision Of the 3
ctory that has come. victory IN &
hleh he had SO high and honorable Z
part. 8
Pen TO ALL FORMER 6
NEDNIEE NINnINES I