Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-12-08
With Our State
Contemporaries
THE PROHIBITION PARTY QUITS

HE fholiiblllON PAKTl QUITS
From Chicago headquarters it is
officially announced that the "Prohi-
bition Party"-as a separate political
entity-proposes to go out of bust
ness; and that, hereafter, the support
of partisanl" Prohibitionists" will be
thrown to whichever of the major POI
litical parties is most dependable
"dry."
This is common sense. Further
more, it would have been just as
sound common sense any other year
from the time the prohibition Party"
/ first concentrated its political
zcalotry into political group.
There never has been moment
since 1884, when the prohibition
Party" first appeared upon national
ballots, when "Prohibitionists" could
not have worked for their cause more
effectually as Republicans" or "Dem-
ocrats." Why? Because there never
has been a moment when the "Pro-
hibition Party stood a ghost of a
show OF electing its own ticket. (The
most votes it ever poled was 264, 1873
in l892-or about per cent of the
total) Therefore when Prohibition
lists supported their own PARTY"
they not only threw their own votes
away but also let themselves outside
the breastworks of the Party" that
won.
We are not impuning the fine
sense of principle which galvanized
. this perennial and almost indistin-
guishable minority into a Lost Bat
TALON; we are discussing solely a
problem in practical political restful-
/ ness. Suppose for example, in 1884 a
very real advantage for the anti
/ liquor cause would have resulted from
election Of Blaine as President instead
Of Cleveland. Blaine was defeated
because he lost New York by 1,149
votes. The prohibition Party" candi-
date for President pollel 25,0O6 New
York votes. If for the sake Of the
argument il be admitted that Blaine
was "drior" than Cleveland, must it
not also then be admitted that the
prohibition Party Cby diverting flu
tile votes from Blaine) did its own
cause more harm than good?
If there is one political axiom
sounder than another, it is that spec
ial causes gain nothing by attempt
ing TO promote themselves through
special political parties. National
/ Prohibition was not finally procured
through the prohibition Party" 1t
was procured through the action of
Republicans and Democrates in the
/ National Congress and in the various
State Legislatures. Out of some five
thousand National and State Legis-
lators who, at one time and another,
had to vote on the Eighteenth Amend
ment, we doubt whether a dozen were
elected by the "Prohibiton Party"
/ The point is so utterly obvious that
1t would be scarcely worth the en-
phasis we give it for the fact that
other groups Of "speca pleaders"
for special causes constantly are pro-
posing 20 erect themselves into sep
arate political parties. This present
analysis is addressed to them. The
whole problem of the whole Govern
ment of the United States is too COM
plcx and too far-reaching ever to per-
NIT proper or successful selection of
governing authorities on the basis of
any single, isolated issue - least of
all sumptuary issue.
So far as "Prohibitionists" are
concerned, if there was ever time
when their power and fidelity to prn-
cple needed expression it is now in
these days of loose law enforcement
and law evasion Hence, when they
choose this particular era TO go out
OF business as a Party" they vir-
tually consent to The Herald's whole
argument against special parties"
On the other hand, they choose a
most important and critical time to
change method and make their au-
thority and weight best felt--namely,
through whichever of the dominant
Parties best merits their support
/ Grand Rapils Herald