Do you think alcohol should be banned in the USA? Alcohol has been banned successfully in many Muslim nations but attempts at limiting it elsewhere have failed rather spectacularly. However, one of America's oldest political parties is still trying to get voters to go for it.
According to Wikipedia, "The Prohibition Party is a political party in the United States best known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages. The Party was an integral part of the temperance movement and, while never one of the nation's leading parties, it was an important force in US politics in the late 19th century and the early years of the 20th century. The party has declined dramatically since the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Today, it advocates a variety of socially conservative causes."
To give it credit, the party was a major player in Presidential elections for a time. However, the two major parties took up prohibition advocacy and stole most of the support the party was receiving. After it was obvious that banning alcohol did not work, the Prohibition Party spiraled into the state of virtual obscurity it has today.
According to Prohibition presidential/vice-presidential candidates, here is the list of Prohibition Party Presidential tickets:
1872
President: James Black (PA), lawyer, civic activist
Vice-President: John Russell (MI) minister, newspaperman (Methodist)
5607 reported votes, 6 states
1876
President: Green Clay Smith (KY) lawyer, military officer, Democratic congressman (Baptist)
Vice-President: Gideon T. Stewart (OH) newspaperman, civic activist
9737 reported votes, 10 states
1880
President: Neal Dow (ME) businessman, military officer, civic activist (Quaker)
Vice-President: Henry A. Thompson (OH) mathematician, pres. Otterbein Univ. (United Brethren)
10,304 reported votes
1884
President: John P. St. John (KS) adventurer, lawyer, military officer, Republican governor
Vice-President: William Daniel (MD) legislator, civic activist
153,128 reported votes
1888
President: Clinton B. Fisk (NJ) banker, military officer, founder of Fisk University
Vice-President: John A. Brooks (MO) college president
249,945 reported votes
1892
President: John Bidwell (CA) rancher, military officer
Vice-President: James B. Cranfill (TX) minister, newspaperman (Baptist)
271,058 reported votes ** the record vote and percentage for the Prohibition Party (2.3%)
1896
President: Joshua Levering (MD) businessman, WMCA official, trustees president Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Baptist)
Vice-President: Hale Johnson (IL) lawyer
130,617 reported votes (plus 13,969 for an alternative slate in some states)
1900
President: John G. Wooley (IL) lawyer, orator
Vice-President: Henry B. Metcalf (RI) banker, manufacturer, trustees pres. Tufts College (Universalist)
209,469 reported votes
1904
President: Silas C. Swallow (PA) minister (Methodist)
Vice-President: George W. Carroll (TX) businessman, philanthropist
258,205 reported votes
1908
President: Eugene W. Chafin (WI) writer, local official, lawyer
Vice-President: Aaron S. Watkins (OH) lawyer, president Asbury College (Methodist)
253,231 reported votes, 28 states
1912
President: Eugene W. Chafin (WI) writer, local official, lawyer
Vice-President: Aaron S. Watkins (OH) lawyer, president Asbury College (Methodist)
207,828 reported votes
1916
President: J. Frank Hanly (IN) newspaperman, teacher, lawyer, Republican governor
Vice-President: Ira Landrith (TN) YMCA official, president Bellmont College(Presbyterian)
221,329 reported votes
1920
President: Aaron W. Watkins (OH) lawyer, president Asbury College (Methodist)
Vice-President: D. Leigh Colvin (NY) historian, temperance society executive
195, 923 reported votes
1924
President: Herman P. Faris (MO) banker, businessman
Vice-President: Marie C. Brehm (CA) suffragette, first legally qualified female vice-presidential candidate
56,289 reported votes, 16 states
1928
President: William F. Varney (NY) business administrator
Vice-President: James A. Edgerton (VA) newspaperman, writer, philosopher
20,106 reported votes (plus 14,394 for an alternative slate in CA), 6 states
1932
President: William D. Upshaw (GA) lecturer, Democratic congressman
Vice-President: Frank S. Regan (IL) lecturer, state legislator
81,869 reported votes, 22 states
1936
President: D. Leigh Colvin (NY) historian, temperance society executive
Vice-President: Claude A. Watson (CA) lawyer, business administrator (Free Methodist)
37,847 reported votes, 25 states
1940
President: Roger W. Babson (MA) economist, businessman (Congregational Christian)
Vice-President: Edgar V. Moorman (IL) businessman
59,492 reported votes, states (28)
1944
President: Claude A. Watson (CA) lawyer, business administrator (Free Methodist)
Vice-President: Andrew Johnson (KY) evangelist, lecturer (Methodist)
74,758 reported votes, states (26)
1948
President: Claude A. Watson (CA) lawyer, business administrator (Free Methodist)
Vice-President: Dale H. Learn (PA) realtor, insurance salesman, civic activist
103,343 reported votes, 19 states
1952
President: Stuart Hamblen (CA) musician
Vice-President: Enoch A. Holtwick (IL) historian, president of Los Angeles PacificJunior College
78,181 reported votes, 20 states
1956
President: Enoch A. Holtwick (IL) historian, president of Los Angeles Pacific JuniorCollege
Vice-President: Edwin M. Cooper (CA) lawyer, YMCA officialIn New Jersey, the ticket was Holtwick and Holdridge.
41,937 reported votes, 10 states
1960
President: Rutherford L. Decker (MO) minister, co-founder of National Association of Evangelicals (Baptist)
Vice-President: E. Harold Munn, Sr. (MI) television executive, educator
46,239 reported votes, 11 states
1964
President: E. Harold Munn, Sr. (MI) television executive, educator
Vice-President: Mark R. Shaw (MA) minister, peace activist (Methodist)
23,267 reported votes, 9 states
1968
President: E. Harold Munn, Sr. (MI) television executive, educator
Vice-President: Rolland E. Fisher (KS) evangelist (Free Methodist)
15,123 reported votes, 9 states
1972
President: E. Harold Munn, Sr. (MI) television executive, educator
Vice-President: Marshall E. Uncapher (KS) educator, salesman
13,444 reported votes, 4 states
1976
President: Ben Bubar (ME) state legislator, temperance lobbyist (Baptist)
Vice-President: Earl F. Dodge (CO) Prohibition Party executive secretary/chairman(Baptist)
15,961 reported votes, 9 states
1980
President: Ben Bubar (ME) state legislator, temperance lobbyist (Baptist)
Vice-President: Earl F. Dodge (CO) Prohibition Party executive secretary/chairman(Baptist)
7237 reported votes, 4 states
1984
President: Earl F. Dodge (CO) Prohibition Party executive secretary/chairman (Baptist)
Vice-President: Warren C. Martin (KS) member of Kansas state Board of Paroles and Pardons (Free Methodist)
4204 reported votes, 5 states
1988
President: Earl F. Dodge (CO) Prohibition Party executive secretary/chairman (Baptist)
Vice-President: George Ormsby (PA) businessman, president National Council of the International Organization of Good Templars (Presbyterian Church in America)
8004 reported votes, states (4) : Arkansas (1,319 / 0.14%, Colorado (4,604 / 0.34%), New Mexico (249 / 0.05%), Tennessee (1,807 / 0.11%) -- also: 16 write-ins from Michigan, 5 write-ins from Michigan, 7 write-ins from North Dakota
1992
President: Earl F. Dodge (CO) Prohibition Party executive secretary/chairman (Baptist)
Vice-President: George Ormsby (PA) businessman, president National Council of the International Organization of Good Templars (Presbyterian Church in America)
935 reported votes, states (3) : Arkansas ((472 / 0.05%), New Mexico (120 / 0.02%), Tennessee (343 / 0.02%) -- also: 21 write-ins from Colorado, 2 write-ins from Massachusetts, 3 write-ins from North Dakota
1996
President: Earl F. Dodge (CO) Prohibition Party executive secretary/chairman (Baptist)
Vice-President: Rachel Bubar Kelly (IL) educator, president of Women's Christian Temperance Union
1294 reported votes, states (4) : Arkansas (483 / 0.05%), Colorado (375 / 0.02%), Tennessee (324 / 0.02%), Utah (111 / 0.02%) -- also: one write-in from Illinois and 4 write-ins from Massachusetts
2000
President: Earl F. Dodge (CO) Prohibition Party executive secretary/chairman (independent Baptist)
Vice-President: W. Dean Watkins (AZ) retired aeronautical engineer (independent Baptist)
208 reported votes, 1 state : Colorado (208 / 0.01%)
2004
Internal party fighting led to rival tickets being nominated. Both were ignored by just about everyone.
And the 2008 Prohibition Party ticket is:
President: Gene Amondson (AK) Evangelist and Artist(Church of God, Anderson)
Vice-President: Leroy Pletten (MI) Law Enforcement Consultant(Church of God)
Unless Islamic Law is every close to being voted (or legislated) into existence in the USA, it is safe to say that the only benefit to being on a Prohibition Party ticket is almost automatic entry into Wikipedia as a notable person worthy of an article. Regardless, even if the modern party is irrelevant, historically it played an important role in American history and is worth remembering.
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4 comments:
After reading this I was looking for a book about Al Capone and the growth of the Chicago crime syndicates that I read many years ago. Although I cannot find the book, I remember that it credited Prohibition with the growth of organized crime. Speakeasies did exist to evade tax and blue laws, but they began to flourish under prohibition. Add gambling, prostitution, and the distribution of goods, and organized crime grew by leaps and bounds.
Make it illegal and those who want to partake will do so, whether it is for the thrill or even altruistic reasons. Look at the new discussion between college deans, presidents, and chancellors about lowering the drinking age back to 18. They have seen evidence of an increase in binge drinking since the drinking age was increased in 1984.
My bottom line is don't legislate morality. What you think may be immoral does not mean I think it is immoral. Although I do not drink, that is my decision. It is not my place to impose my feelings on these things on you. It is not my business whether you drink and it's not your business if I drink.
Choice... it requires brains and I like to use mine!
Scott,
I agree with your comments on prohibition.
However, "My bottom line is don't legislate morality. What you think may be immoral does not mean I think it is immoral" takes it a bit too far.
It is OK to legislate morality. That is why we have laws against murder, drunk driving, rape, etc. The question is not whether to legislate morality (we must) but which moral activities should be legislated.
Michael
Legislating against what we consider capital crimes protects violations of another's life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. In that case, it is not legislating morality but protecting someone else's freedom. Legislating against the behavior consumption of alcohol or gambling is not trying to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, it is apply morality on those that would choose to partake in those activities.
"Legislating against what we consider capital crimes protects violations of another's life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. In that case, it is not legislating morality but protecting someone else's freedom."
Which are all at their core moral issues. Which is why something like abortion is so tough. What is more just, the right of the unborn to live or the right of the mother to make a choice? Outside of true patisians, we can all see how this can get murky.
Even the alcohol issue infringes on others. Drunks have a negative impact on another's life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness when you have to deal with a drunk.
I agree people have the right to drink, gamble, and should have the right to some other morally questionable activities even if the may harm others.
However, almost all laws are an attempt to legislate morals such as "though shall not kill", "though shall not steal", "though shall not cheat the government out of tax money", etc.
Morality has always been legislated and always will be. The question is, which issues of morality should be legislated? That is where the debate is just and I respect the prohibisionist even if I disagree with them.
I also respect you disagreement with me on this point.
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