1968 Prohibition Party Platform

Preamble

  We, the representatives of the Prohibition Party, assembled in National Convention at Detroit, Michigan, June 28 & 29, 1967, recognizing Almighty God as the source of all just government and with faith in the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, do solemnly promise that, if our party is chosen to administer the affairs of the nation, we will, with earnest dedication to the principles of righteousness, seek to serve the needs and to preserve the rights, the prerogatives and the basic freedoms, of the people of the United States of America. For the realization of these ends we propose the following program of government.

Constitutional Government

  We affirm our sincere loyalty to the Constitution of the United States, and express our deep confidence in that document as the basic law of the land. We will resist all attempts to violate it, whether by legislation, by means of evasion, or through judicial interpretation. We believe in the principles of liberty and justice enunciated in the Declaration of Independence and in the Preamble and Bill of Rights of our Constitution. We declare ourselves in hearty support of our system of representative government, with its plan of checks and balances, and express our firm intent to serve the people of our nation with a constructive, forward-looking program of good government, dedicated to the general welfare.

Communism - Totalitarianism

  Recognizing that Communism is aggressively and unalterably opposed to our Constitutional government, we declare our opposition to it both as a way of life and as a governmental system. We believe that the program of Communism, with its intent to infiltrate and to overthrow our present form of government, must be pitilessly exposed. We challenge all loyal citizens to become fully aware of this menace to civilization, to exert every effort to defeat these 'masters of deceit,' and to help preserve our American way of life. We also declare ourselves opposed to any other form of totalitarian philosophy or form of government. We endorse the efforts of those agencies which have been honestly and earnestly exposing subversive activities and groups.

Governmental Economy and Taxation

  We view with alarm the extravagance and wasteful spending which have invaded government at all levels, demanding an ever-increasing tax load upon our people. The constant increase in taxation, requiring approximately one third of the total income of our citizens to pay the expenses of government, is approaching the point of confiscation, leading to economic chaos. We believe that good government does not attempt to do for people what they can do for themselves. With proper economy, governmental costs can be lowered, the tax load lightened, and the public debt can be reduced. We promise to devote ourselves to such an end, even though it involves either the re-organization or abolition of certain departments, bureaus and vested interests.

Money & Finance

  A sound financial program and dependable monetary policy are fundamental to a stable economy. Our Constitution gives to Congress the power to 'coin money' and to 'regulate the value thereof.' We believe that Congress, working with the executive branch of government, should take immediate steps to establish a financial program that will block inflationary trends, insure a sound currency, stabilize price levels and provide for systematic retirement of the national debt. We urge that careful consideration be given to a return to the gold standard, believing that such a step would help stabilize our economy, would promote confidence in our monetary system and would underwrite a continuing program of sound finance and expanding industrial progress.

Tax Sharing

  'Recognizing that local and state governments are having real difficulty in meeting their basic financial needs, we advocate a division of the revenue received from the federal income tax, with appropriate amounts of the tax collected in each state being distributed to each of the state governments before becoming the property of the federal government.'

The Federal Budget

  Good government and a sound economy require a balanced budget. The inflationary effects and the disturbing influences of unbalanced budgets must be eliminated. We cannot, with impunity, continue to increase the mortgage on our future and the interest load of the present. As the level of taxation is already excessive, there must be either a decided reduction in governmental services and federal spending or a substantial improvement in efficiency, with consequent elimination of waste in both personnel and materials. Actually, both areas need careful exploration with a view not only to maintaining a balanced budget, but also to reduction of the national debt.

The Income Tax

  A federal income tax was first proposed by the Prohibition Party in 1896. However, the graduated tax and confiscatory rates of the present day were not contemplated. We seriously question the appropriateness of the present system and demand a thorough review of the basic fiscal policies of our government.

Foreign Aid

  Many billions of dollars of our taxpayers' money have been and are still being given to foreign countries. Unfortunately, substantial portions have been used to support governments and programs considerably at variance with American ideals and concepts. It is frankly recognized that complex and baffling problems are involved in this area of international relations, but we insist that foreign governments have no inherent right to financial gifts at the expense of American taxpayers. Such aid does not purchase friendship, so should usually be in the form of repayable loans which will enable the beneficiaries to maintain their dignity and self-respect.

A Free Economy

  We are strongly opposed to burdensome restraints on our free enterprise system, to detailed regulation of our economic life and to federal interference with individual initiative. We believe that free enterprise is threatened in three ways: (1) by excessive governmental regulation, (2) by growth of public or private monopoly, and (3) by unethical practices of unscrupulous groups. It will be the policy of our administration to encourage independent, non-monopolistic business enterprises which serve genuine consumer needs and are operated with a sense of responsibilty to the public. We will take necessary steps to prevent the evils both of monopoly and of excessive regulation by government, and to protect adequately the consuming public from irresponsible or deceptive practices contrary to the general welfare. We propose that our government withdraw, with reasonable promptness, from the fields of business activity and sell to private industry, at proper investment prices, those business enterprises now owned and operated by the federal government.

Labor and Industry

  In the area of labor and industrial relations we believe that the public welfare must be given paramount consideration. Both management and labor must be held responsible for their economic and their social behavior. Neither should be permitted to dominate at the expense of the other or of the common good. Rather, the anti-trust laws must be applied equally to all monopolies, whether of business or labor. Whenever the public welfare is seriously endangered because of disputes affecting quasi-public businesses and utilities we favor the compulsory arbitration of labor-management disputes.

Employee - Employer Rights

  Every individual has certain basic and fundamental rights. A person's right to join or not to join a labor union without affecting his employment and his right to work for an employer willing to hire him must be protected. Likewise, employees and employers must be free to bargain and to contract as they wish. Violence or coercion, whether on the part of management or labor, should be prohibited.

States Rights

  Our founding fathers recognized the importance of both individual and states rights, and determined to preserve them by making the Bill of Rights an integral part of our Consititution. During recent years there has been an increasing tendency toward an undesirable concentration of power and authority in the federal government. This tendency has two principle (sic) causes: (1) the ever-growing power and influence of the 'military-industrial complex,' and (2) a widespread tendency of groups of citizens to look to the federal government for the protection of rights and the satisfaction of needs which they feel are not adequately cared for by state and local governments or by private enterprise. To deal with the first of these causes, we pledge the utmost vigilance in resisting the growth of militarism and in maintaining the consititutional principle of civilian supremacy over the military. To deal with over centralization we urge more vigorous action by the state and local governments for the protection of the rights and the promotion of the welfare of their people, greater resort to the solution of local community problems through the voluntary action of existing or new civic and other non-governmental associations, where this is feasible, and the increasing pursuit by private business concerns of policies which promote the public interest. We pledge ourselves to action that will preserve all legitimate rights and will maintain among the several states their constitutitonal place in our system of government.

Human Rights

  All American citizens, regardless of race, religion, or national origin are entitled to equality of treatment under the provisions of our constitution and under the laws of our land. No person or group of persons should be subjected to ostracism, humiliation, or embarrassment because of color or national background. At the same time, we must deplore the use of either violence or arbitrary pressure tactics, from whatever source, as a means of seeking to resolve tensions and divergencies of opinion among our citizens. We are opposed to those proposals which would destroy our neighborhood school systems through a program of artificial integration or convey special privileges to any minority group.

Public Morality

  Moral and spiritual considerations must be primary factors in determining both state and national policies. We deplore the gross neglect of such matters by the dominant political parties, culminating in the shocking revelations of crime and of political and economic corruption which have characterized recent years. We charge these parties with basic responsibility for the rapid decline in moral standards which followed repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. We believe that the program of nullification of law through non-enforcement which led to repeal contributed greatly to the disintegration of public morals, to a general deterioration of standards and to a lowering of values among our people. We pledge ourselves to break the unholy alliance which has made these things possible. We propose to strengthen and to enforce laws against gambling, narcotics, and commercialized vice, to emphasize the basic importance of spiritual and moral values to the development and growth of an enduring nation, and to maintain the integrity of our democracy by careful enforcement of law and loyal support of our Constitution.

World Peace

  We pledge ourselves to search for peaceful solutions to international conflict by seeking to deal creatively and constructively with the underlying  causes of international tension before they explode into hostilities, and, to strive for world peace and order based upon the teachings and practices of the Prince of Peace.

National Sovereignty

  We declare our belief in national sovereignty and oppose surrender of this sovereignty to any international group.

National Preparedness

  Believing that 'eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,' we declare for a sound program of national military preparedness. While praying for peace we cannot place our freedom in peril by ignoring the potential threat to our nation. However, we believe that the present program of compulsory peacetime military training does not represent a genuine safeguard to world peace. We rather believe it to be contrary, in principle, to our American way of life. This system places an unneccessary burden upon our peacetime economy, threatens us with possible military dictatorship, and often permits and promotes the moral and spiritual deterioration of our youth. We urge that our peacetime defense be entrusted to professionally trained volunteers.

Nuclear Weapons Testing

  Radioactive fallout, resulting from testing of nuclear weapons, endangers the health of human beings throughout the world, and if testing is engaged in, will increase the number of seriously defective children who will be born to future generations. The danger may become progressively greater with any additional testing. Also, there is the danger that continuation of the armaments race will lead to an atomic war of annihilation. We urge that all testing of nuclear weapons be indefinitely suspended on a multilateral basis with proper inspection safeguards, and that our government seek with renewed vigor and persistence an agreement among all nuclear powers for the permanent and complete cessation of nuclear tests for military purposes.

Religious Freedom

  We believe in religious liberty. Freedom of the individual to worship, to fellowship with others of similar faith, to evangelize, to educate and to establish religious institutions, must be preserved. When religious liberty is lost political liberty will perish with it. We deplore ever increasing efforts to restrict freedom of religious broadcasting and the establishment of new churches. We caution the Internal Revenue Service against using the power to control tax exemptions to discriminate against evangelical Christianity. We believe, also, that our government should take a firm, positive position against religious intolerance and persecution anywhere in the world.

Marriage and Divorce

  Ordained of God, the home is a sacred institution.  Its sanctity must be protected and preserved. We favor the enactment of uniform marriage and divorce laws in the various states as an aid to building strong and enduring homes throughout our nation.

Social Security

  We endorse the general principle of an actuarially sound social security insurance program which includes all employee groups. We question the soundness of the existing program, and the recent trend toward a welfare emphasis. We deplore the widespread current abuse of the privileges involved; we condemn the maladministration of its provisions for political ends; we pledge ourseles to correct these evils.

Ballot Law Reform

  True democracy requires that the needs and interests of minority groups be given fair, honest and appropriate consideration. Instead, in many of our states, ballot laws have been enacted which are designed to make a two party system into a bi-partisan political monopoly, keeping minor parties off the ballot. We demand the repeal of all laws which deny to independent voters and all loyal minority groups the fundamental right of free political expression.

Church and State

  We affirm our continuing loyalty to the constitutional principle of separation of Church and State. We will expose, and resist vigorously, any attempt from whatever source to weaken or subvert this fundamental principle. We declare our belief that the Bible is not a sectarian book, but is a volume of universal appeal and application which is woven into our history, our laws, and our culture. We deplore any interpretation which would limit its use in any area of our national life. In the area of government, we endorse encouragement of non-profit educational and religious institutions on a tax-exempt basis, but we declare strong opposition to all efforts, direct or indirect, to secure appropriations of public money for private religious or sectarian purposes.

Education

  It is altogether appropriate that our federal government should be intrested in and concerned about matters pertaining to all areas of educational growth and development. However, under the Tenth Amendment, public education is clearly to be under the control of the states. We are opposed to direct federal aid to education, believing that each state should both support and control its own educational program.

Agriculture

  The production and distribution of agricultural products is of vital importance to the economy of any people. We believe that those engaged in agricultural pursuits, like other American citizens, should be free from authoritarian control and coercion. Hence we declare ourselves opposed to regimentation of farms and farmers and urge a sensible and orderly return to a free market program.

Public Health

  The health of our people is a matter of fundamental importance. We are deeply concerned with this matter in its many aspects. We are disturbed by the increasing use of narcotic and psychedelic drugs. Recognizing that the use of tobacco products constitutes a health hazard, we are opposed to promotional advertizing of such products and to subsidization of tobacco growing. We insist that caution must be taken in dealing with mental health cases, lest there be unjust and prejudiced incarcerations. We deplore those programs of mass medication which violate the rights of individuals. We insist on the right of everyone to a pure water supply and to an unpolluted atmosphere, and hold that each of our states must insure these. We pledge enforcement of existing laws regulating these health concerns, the enactment of additional needed legislation and co-operation with state efforts to deal with the problems.

Service, not Spoils

  The Prohibition Party first sponsored our civil service system.  On the other hand, the dominant political parties are positively committed to the 'spoils' system and, when in office, have prostituted govermental power to serve their own selfish party interests instead of the whole people. This has led to excessive expenditures, higher taxes and, in some situations, to an unfortunate alliance of crime with politics. We pledge ourselves to an honest, efficient and economical adminstration.

The Alcohol Problem

  Beverage alcohol must today be recognized as the chief cause of poverty, broken homes, juvenile delinquency, vice, crime, political corruption, wasted manpower and highway accidents. By the most conservative estimates, more than 6,000,000 alcoholics and 6,000,000 problem drinkers are currently victims of alcohol. No greater mistake has ever been made by the American people and their government than the Repeal of Prohibition. Contrary to the promises made by the advocates of repeal, bootlegging has increased to the point where the liquor industry itself claims that one-third of all alcohol consumed today in America is illicit; drinking among our young people has reached epidemic proportions; liquor taxes pay only a small fraction of the traffic's cost to the taxpayers and the 'open saloon' which was to be 'banished forever' is back in a newer form and more numerous than ever. The liquor traffic is linked with and supports a nationwide network of gambling, vice and crime. It also dominates both major political parties and, thru them, much of the governmental and political life of our nation. As long as the two dominant parties are largely controlled by the liquor traffic, just so long will they be unable to make moral principles prevail. The Prohibition Party alone offers a program to deal with this greatest of social ills. We pledge ourselves to a program of publicity, education, legislation and administration, leading to the elimination of beverage alcohol industry. (sic) We will repeal all laws which legalize the liquor traffic and enact and rigorously enforce new laws which prohibit the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages. We urge all Americans who favor sobriety and righteousness to join with us in electing an administration pledged to the above program.

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