THE ULTIMATE PARTY by M. C. W.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Sep 2, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 34.

THE ULTIMATE PARTY.

By M. C. W.

IN the (N. Y.) Voice of August 15, in a letter to that journal, H. Clay Bascom says:—

"Referring to the Prohibition vote, the Hon. Edward Evans says in a private letter:—

"It must be obvious that when a principle on non-partisan lines can command in Pennsylvania 300,000 votes, and in Ohio 360,000 votes, and in Massachusetts 80,000 votes, and in Michigan 268,000 votes, and that when these voters are asked to support the Prohibition party it can only get from 10,000 to 20,000 in these States, there is something wrong with the make-up of the party."

"And Mr Evans invites Prohibition party men to a counsel looking to the abandonment of the Prohibition party and the organization of the 'National Reform Party,' whose corner-stone shall be the prohibition principle, but whose platform shall be more comprehensive."

Mr. Evans cherishes the belief that such a party and platform would command all of the Prohibition ballots that have been cast in the non-partisan contests. His ambitions are most laudable. In an open letter to the Hon. John P. St. John, in the Chicago Express, Mr Evans quotes Hon. T. R. Carskadon as saying upon the subject of the proposed conference: 'No harm can come from a free and open discussion of the question of uniting all reform forces.'"

Mr. Bascom says that "Mr. Evans marches in advance of his question;" and that "he is right in the objects sought." Mr. Bascom's chief objection to this scheme is that it would be impossible to translate the whole Prohibition party into the National Reform party, and therefore no more votes would be won than now. But whenever it is possible, he says: "We shall be most happy to welcome the coming coalition."

We notice the above to call the attention of our readers to the religio-political trend. Whether this refers to the National Reform party which has already existed for years, we know not. It probably does, but whether it does or not, it means a similar organization, holding the same wrong ideas of government. The reform sought includes instruction in the principles of the Christian religion in the public schools, God in the Constitution, better and general divorce laws, laws for stricter observance of Sunday, and prohibition of the liquor traffic. Some good things, and some equally bad. National Reform means a union of Church and State, and into such union the country is now drifting. M. C. W.