The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-27
PROHIBITION CONFERENC e.
OPENING ADDRESS BY JUDGE BLACK
OF PENN>YLyANIA.
They Organize with Rev. DR.. Cummings
for President, and Adjourn
till T0-day.


NEW YORK, Sept 26-The National Prohi-
bition Conference of the United States met in
this city this morning; it was called to order
by Judge Black, of Pennsylvania. About
one hundred delegates were present, among
the most prominent of whom were Judge
Judge VIM. Vancott j. N. stearn, Prof John
Moffat and Luther S. Kaufman, of New York
Hon. Fl. A. Thompson, Of Ohio; Rev. Ghas. has
Green Clay Smith, Walter Harrington, of
POughkeepsie; Rev. John Russell, OF Mlch1-
gan, and many others.
After the calling of the roll, Judge Black
delivered the opening address, in WHICH i, he
said that for thirty years the Prohibition
party had been at work, drawing to, it's SIDE
the most of the churches and charitable in
stitutions, and tens of thousands of good
men and women in every State in the Union.
Moral feeling had been aroused and moral
sllasion used, but of late years the conviction
has been growing that political action should
follow.
In all great movements it had been proved
that in every case political action should fol-
be redressed. This was most forcibly illus
trated in the anti-slavery movement. For
years the nation had groaned under the yoke
of the shareholders, and for years agitation
followed; then the time came for political
action, and though 1t had to be arrived at by
going through sea of blood, that action was
taken and the shackles stricken from the
hands of the slave.
So for thirty years the agitation of the
temperance question had been in progress,
statute book of the nation should represent
the moral sense of the entire people; and the
conviction has grown strong in the American
mind, that the use of liquor was destruction
and that it's sale, was a moral evil ana an
actual crime, and must be suppressed, and
that this could only be done through the in
fuence of the ballot-box.
Rev. Fl. A. Thompson, Prohibition candi-
date for Governor Of Ohio, was made tenn
porary chairman.
A letter was then read from the Rev. VIM.
Goodell, one Of the old Wisconsin anti-slavery
leaders, and for fifty years an advocate of
prohibition, urging that the convention should
arrange for independent political action this
fall, and that they should be content with
nothing short of absolute prohibition
throughout the States and the nation, Of the
exportation, manufacture and sale nf intoxi-
eating beverages.
After the appointment Of the various com
mittees the Rev III. A. Thompson, Prohibi-
ton candidate for the Governorship OF Ohio,
delivered short address on the prospects in
that State; he reported that that State was
better organized this year than ever before,
and that the prospects were brighter; the
press of the State, however, was not support
ing the work as well as they should; they
5CBl16u W NC wv IlIuIL oCCuplCA III dueh' "
ing among themselves on party questions,
and to read them it would seem that both
parties were crumbling away; while he could
not hope that they would elect their candi-
dates, he thought that they would poll at
least 20, 600 votes more than ever before.
Rev. Joseph Cummings and Mr.. Clarke,
both of Connecticut, spoke very hopefully OF
the success of the party in the next election.
Judge Groo, Of Orange county, N. Y, also de-
lvered short address. After these addresses
the committee on permanent organization
was named Rev. Dir. Joseph Cummings, of
Connecticut, was chosen as president, and
also number of vice presidents. The con-
vention then took a recess, and upon reas-
sembling several papers were read, and the
president delivered an address on the ques--
ton, ''Is prohibition a right governmental
policy?' after which the convention adj
iourned till o'clock tomorrow morning.