Sound Sense

A few days since M. J. Faiiniug addressed au -'open letter" to Hon. B. E. Frazer, of Jackson, upbraiding hiui for supporting the republican ticket, and mak. ing tliis statement:- "I will work from now to election diy for the success of the reimblican party, if you will show me liow any person, who says he believes ín prohibition, can vote the republicnn ticket this fall without telling a lie," whieh (juestion really contains _the gist of the wliole letter. Below we give M r. Frazer's reply, and now await Mr. Fsinning's action. Will he be :is good es his word, and support the republican party '! at will he crawl out of it someway: FRAZER'S l.ETTEK. Dear Siu - You addreas to me to-day an open letter which yon cause to be published In the democratie paper in tbiscity. Youstyle me the most conspicuous representative in this state of those temperance men who think the cause of prohibltlon c ,n bebest served by votmg the prohibition ticket. You offer to work for the republican party if I can show you how a probibitlonist can do so without telling a lie. You quote the lOth plank in the republican platform of 1872, and the action oí the ïepublican convention of 1SS4 In rejtcting the request of the W. C. 1 U. as conclusive evidence tlmt the reimblican party is not iu favor of prohibition. Ido not expect to convince you, but I propose to show iiiy temperance frieuds why I vote the republican ticket. I do not claim that the republican party has ever in national convention declared for prohibition, or that it is committed to that doctrine in this state. All I claim is that it is freely committed to the principie that the people of Michigan have a right to say what the constitution shall contain (fa that subject, and they ought to be allowed to speak; that it declares its belief freely, fairly and bonestly on that ijue.-tion in its platform, and that in doing so lt urn all that auy lemperanue organization J ever represented demanded o f it. To make the question a national issue with the present state of public feellng would in niy opinión bury the party wbich advociiteil it and ret;ird the cause of temperance for many years. I know jour people nave no toleration for the lempprance men who differ fro.n them. Vet we raust retain oor honest views and stand your condemnation. When the states show themselves able to solve tliis perplexing question witli tlie ('uil power in their handí, it will be solved tor the whole country. There are other queslions than temperanee before the nation to-day, questious affecting commercial welfare, and striking directly at the rights of the American workinginan. Ou these questions I am in hearty sympathy with the republican party, and against the democratie party ; and the ideas of the one or the other of these partios must prevail at the coming election. If I sliould cast my vote for St. John I would not only throw my vote avvay, butaft'ord aid and comfort to the democratie party, which I will not willingly do, kuowing that it is the toe of temperance and that it antagonizes my belief on other subjects. 8iia.ll the republican or democratie party rule tliis nation for the next tour jearflf Tbal's the issue, How shall I vote? How ought I to vote? Shall least my vote to help inake Cleveland president? or shall I vete for Blaine' It is an easy question for me to answer. Because Icannothave all I want, shall I refuse what is oftered notwithstanding the faet that I desire it, or shall I kill the giver so that I can have forced upon me what I abhor? I know how you argue that by destroying republicanïsm you have a short road to prohlbition. When you have killed therepublican party the democratie party rules - not you nor your ideas; and wheu that party giyes you prohibition wickeduess will have departed f rom the land. I have seen the time when I hoped to bring all men to my views of reforining the world. I have more recently concluded to postpone iudefmitely the date. I am opposed to the proliibition party for these reasons: 1. lts speakers, jouraalt and leaders declare that to promote the cause of temperance the republican party must die. I believe that it is the democratie party that ouglit to die, and that when the republican party dies, all hope of temperance dies with it. 4. I believe the prohibition party, as a party, never succeeded in dolna anything for temperance, and that whenever temperance has succeeded "in getting to the front it has been brought by republican agencies. 3. The prohibition party operatessimply as au aid and supporter of the democratie party. It strikes its heavy blows at the republicans and says little against the demócrata. The open letters of its adherents are published in democratie papers, and the demoerats publish them because they believe it hclps the demoerats and harins the republicans. The democratie papers urge them on to shake the trees, and the democratie party to piek up the nuts. The prohibitiou party appeals to the republicans to desert their party and, wuile not avowedly doing so, really help the demoerats. I shall never knowingly, directly or iudircctly, feed and strengthen a toe for the purpose of making it strong enough to strangle me. Tliis I must do if I vote for St. John and thus help bring the demoerats into power. 4. X oppose the prohibition party because its leaders and journals f ilsely cliarge the republican party with hypociisy iu nsking to have the constitutional amendment submitted to the people. Tliis it didat the very outset befoie any faets eould have been kuown on which to base an opinión. They charge the republican state committee with reqtresting speakers I in its employ to Ignore the submis-ion plank. Thio charge I know to be false. They charge the speakers witli not advocatiug that plank. To many of the speakers tliis charge is unjust. J made as many speeches as any one iu paign and never failed to advocate il, and others did the same, and tliis is a question I for the whole people, and to them the republican party are willing to leave it. The republican party can speak its views only through the platform. It can no more control the actiou of individual lgislators than it can control the tides. They will do as their immediate constituents deniand. Convert the constituents and the leglslators will be all right and not before. I stand as I have stood for year?, a temperauce man, doiug my best in my own way according to the sight given me, to rid the world of agreat evil. I suppose you addressed your letter to me because I am a republican. Docsn't it strike you that it might be fair to write an open letter to the demócrata and greenbackers? Suppose you write to Gov. Begole and ask hnu how he can, is a prohibitionist and woman suffragist, enter into an alliance, offeusive and defensive, witli the democrats, who despise him and his principies, but who are not using him for purposes of their ovvn. Xow, in justice, he, beinga candidate for office, sliould be interrogated as wel] as I, who am not a candidate. Had you not beteer write tosome leading democratie statesman and ask him how, in the light ot the sumptuary plank In the democratie Chicago platform, and the :ion-tempernnce utterances in Cleveland's etter, he can conscientiously vote for such an old prohibitlon fanatio as (iov Begole. You are, no doubt, doing your duty as you undersiand it. You cuiïnot elect St. John. You will undoubtedly help strengthen the chances for Cleveland. I am against Cleveland and the democratie Mrty. I a;n going to try and help de_eat them. My way of doing it is to vote for Blaine, Logan and Algier. and I propose to do my level best to heln them srot Jackson, Aug. 23, 1884.