The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-08-18
Prohibition state Convention.

This body assembled at Harrisburg
last week and nominated BARR
SPANGLER, of Lancaster, for Auditor
General, and f. A. WHEELER, of Mer.
Ger, for Surveyor General. Both can
didates were present and made speech
es accepting the nominations. Wheth.
er they will "stick," or be voted for
by considerable number If they do,
remains to be seen. Heretofore the po.
litical feature of the prohibition move
ment has been made to work directly
to the interests of the Radicals and their
predecessors, and when 1t could not be
so worked it was kept out of sight. An
indication that the present effort is an
honest one is to be found in the fact
that Rev. PENNEL CooMBE, an adven.
turer who has had fat living off of the
prohibitionists for the last fifteen or
twenty years, withdrew from the Con-
vention mad as q March hare" be-
cause to make nominations now and
adhere to them will not inure directly
to the benefit of the Radicals-in his
opinion. But that is the only evidence
we have so far seen to indicate that the
movement is sincere. If the candidates
continue before the people, they will
probably be supported by the Demo-
cratic prohibitonists, with few of the
more conscientious Radicals, but nei-
ther party will be seriously affected by
them.
MCCANDLEss and COOPER did not
answer the letters of inquiry addressed
to them by the Prohibition Executive
Committee. Much merriment was cre-
ated by the letters of STANTON and
BEATH-both being couched in the
same general terms and mostly in the
same words. Both decline to give def
| mite answers upon the issues presented
on the ground that they had not had
time to consult the Radical State COM
mittee Verify stupidity is becoming
numerous!
About 40 delegates attended the Con-
vention. OF these, three withdrew be.
cause they were opposed to making
nominations. The managers of the
movement will sell it out if they can.
! Mr.. BARR SPANGLER, the candidate
for Auditor General, made decidedly
vigorous speech He said he was not
sure but that the Convention had erred
in nominating an extreme Radical like
himself. He had little of the Conserv-
ative In him I; had been an abolitionist
| OF the old school, and had fought with
the Republican party until it seemed to
have filled its mission. Temperance
men have nothing to hope from it as il
is organized and run in Pennsylvania.
1t has had power for more than ten
years, but has done nothing to restrain
the liquor traffic.--The professions of Its
politicians and newspaper editors are
hollow and meaningless. 1t is respon-
sible for the existing condition of our
license laws, for it has had full power
to modify them, and has persistently
rum traffic, and has proven to be nc
better in that respect than the Democ
racy. The only hope left to the TEN.
perance men is in independent politica
action. They may not poll very large
vote this year, but they will increase II
with every succeeding election unit
they hold the balance of power and
compel politicians to accede to their de
mands. Mr.. SPANGLER said he accept
cd the nomination in the spirit in which
it was rendered, and would do all ir
his power TO accomplish the noble de
signs of the party which had put hin
forward as a candidate. The flag of thu
Temperance men, which had this day
been nailed to the mast, would neve
be lowered until victory was achiev
ed, which would make glad thousand
who now mourn.