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Influential political cartoonist Thomas
Nast (1840-1902), he who gave the pachyderm to be the symbol
of the Republican Party and the jackass for that of the Democratic
Party, also gave the camel to the Prohibition Party. Nast drew
for Harper's Weekly during the last quarter of the nineteenth
century.
Nast chose the camel to represent the Prohibition
Party because, like Prohibitionists generally, camels don't drink
very often, and, when they do drink, they drink only water. Originally
a dromedary, the symbol was later changed to the Bactrian camel
in order not to be associated with the camel logo on Camel Cigarettes.
We recommend two web sites on Thomas Nast:
www.buffnet.net/~starmist/nast/main.htm
and www.detnews.com/aaec/history
The
Prohibition Party Platform as adopted by the 1995 convention
What About Those Bible
Wines?
One of the most vexing disagreements between
alcohol prohibitionists and moderationists concerns the use of
the word 'wine' in the Bible. Each side quotes its own favorite
verses of Scripture to justify its own viewpoint. And taken literally,
the King James Version and most other translations do contradict
themselves about 'wine'.
The issue can be resolved in one of two
ways:
1. People who reject the doctrine of Biblical
Inspiration consider the Bible to be a collection of oral traditions
derived from several Middle Eastern societies. Some of these
societies approved of drinking, others did not. The contradictions
among the Bible sources are therefore real but are of no consequence.
2. People whose faith tells them that the
Bible was inspired consider the contradictions to be only apparent
(not real) and explain them away as errors in interpretation.
The word 'wine' in olden times was used indiscriminately to mean
either fresh grape juice or fermented (alcoholic) grape juice.
The context in which the word is used tells the reader which
meaning is appropriate.
American English today uses the word 'cider'
in the same way - 'cider' can be either fresh apple juice (sweet
cider) or fermented applce juice (hard cider). The context in
which the word is used tells the reader which meaning to infer.
Two excellent books on the subject of Bible
wines are Stephen M. Reynolds "The Biblical Approach to
Alcohol" (US Council International Organization of Good
Templars, 2926 Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55407) and Charles
Wesley Ewing "The Bible and its Wines" (Prohibition
National Committee, Box 2635, Denver, CO 80201).
Professor Reynolds has organized a foundation
and charged it with producing a new Bible translation in which
the 'wine paradox' and other contradictory passages in existing
translations are reconciled. This 'purified translation' is now
being published and is available from the Lorine L. Reynolds
Foundation, 702 Custis Road, Glenside, PA 19038.
--Editor
National Committee
of the Prohibition Party 1999-2003
Officers
Earl F. Dodge of Lakewood, CO, Prohibition
National Committee chairman since 1979, was elected to an additional
four year term at the 33rd nominating convention of the Prohibition
Party. Dodge has been involved with the Prohibition Party in
one or another capacity since 1952.
Dean Watkins of Tucson, AZ was chosen to
be vice-president of the National Committee, replacing George
Ormsby of Aston, PA.
National Committee treasurer Karen Thiessen
of Wheat Ridge, CO was returned to office.
Margaret L. Shickley of East Petersburg,
PA replaced Rachel Mitchell of West Olive, MI as secretary.
Watkins' grandfather, Aaron Watkins, was
the Prohibition Party vice-presidential candidate in 1908 and
1912 and was its candidate for president in 1920. Shickley is
the last living person to have been elected to any public office
on the Prohibition ticket. Thiessen is Dodge's daughter; both
Lakewood and Wheat Ridge are suburbs of Denver.
Executive Committee
The National Committee of the Prohibition
Party elects a nine-member executive committee, which makes any
necessary policy decisions between national conventions. Day-to-day
operating decisions are made by the executive secretary. The
chairman of the National Committee is also the executive secretary.
In addition to the four officers listed above, the executive
committee includes: Rachel Kelly of FL, Don Webb of AL, Howard
Lydick of TX, George Ormsby of PA, and (there is one vacancy).
National Committeemen
Prohibition National Committee rules provide
for two members from each state in the Union. The current National
Committee includes 31 members from 21 states; the previous (1995-1999)
National Committee included 36 members from 23 states.
Alabama - Don Webb (Dothan)
Arizona- Dean Watkins (Tucson)
Arkansas - Walter Erion (Little Rock)
California - Tom Cisar (Rancho Palos Verdes) , Paul Scott (Glendale)
Colorado - Earl F. Dodge (Lakewood) , Karen Thiessen (Wheat Ridge)
Florida - Rachel Kelly (Sarasota)
Indiana - Wendell Hansen (Noblesville) , Martha Shelley (New
Castle)
Kansas - Vearl Bacon (McPherson)
Massachusetts - Richard K. Whitney (Boston) , Roger Williams
(Worcester)
Michigan - Charles Wesley Ewing (Royal Oak) , Rachel Mitchell
(West Olive)
Minnesota - Ann Moe Finsveen (Minneapolis)
Missouri - Joseph L. Autenreith (St. Louis), Faith Dodge Nelson
( )
New Mexico - Betty Isaacs (Albuquerque)
New York - Russell Hallock (Washingtonville)
Ohio - Jerry Kain (Toledo)
Oklahoma - Robert Blair (Oklahoma City) , Luther Lee Kennicutt
(Salina)
Pennsylvania - Margaret L. Shickley (East Petersburg), George
Ormsby (Aston)
Texas - Howard Lydick ( Richardson)
Utah - Lee McKenzie (Riverton), Gary Van Horn ( Sterling)
Virginia - Andrew Condrey
Washington - Frank Clark (Ellensburg)
At-Large - Jim Partain, Pell City, Alabama