West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-11-09


Politics" Our readers shall have
her words in future numbers.
At the proper time the presidents
of the State unions were called to
the platform. AS Miss North, of
Kansas, came forward, Miss Willard
said: eff we weren't women ]
would say three cheers for Kansas,
the empire State CT Prohibition
AS it is let's all sing the doxology
for Kansas" and the command was
obeyed with a vim. Mrs. Clardy,
of Missouri; Mrs. Swift, Of Penn
sylvania; Mrs. Sibley, Of Georgia,
and Mrs. Walters, of South Carroll
ma, were enthusiastically greeted as
they took seats on the platform,
and BLESSED be the tie that binds, "
was sung by the assembly. Mrs.
Burt, Of New York, pronounced
"the Nestor of the Union" was most
graciously received, as also were
Mrs. Hillgard, of New York, several
visitors from Germany, Denmark
and England, a score of Washing
ton preachers, and Mrs. Simpson, a
colored delegate from the West, who
was highly complimented by the
presiding officer.
Then came
THE SENSATION OF THE DAY,
in the shape Of a letter from Gov.
st. John, of Kansas, addressed to
Mrs. Emma Molloy, Of Indiana. 1t
was read to the convention, and the
reading stirred up the women to
fever heat. The letter was as fol-
lows
"Our constitutional amendment
prohibiting the manufacture and
sale Of intoxicating liquors in Kan
sas was adopted by a vote Of the
people at the general election in
November, 1880, and the law to en-
force it was passed by the Legisla-
ture in February, 1881, and took eff
feet the first day of last May. l
have reports from nearly every
county in the State, which show
that, with the exception Of the cit
les of Atchison, Leavenworth, To
peka and Dodge City, the law is not
only working well, but as a whole,
is grand success. The whisky
ring pay for, publish and circulate
reports to the effect that prohibition
in Kansas is a failure, and point to
the cities named as proof Of the
fact. These reports fail to state
that the cities above named contain
only about one-twentieth of the
population Of Kansas, and that in
the other nineteen-twentieths pro-
hibition against the manufacture
and sale Of intoxicating liquors is as
effectual in suppressing the evil at
which it is aimed as is any other
law prohibiting crime.
We are getting splendid immi-
grafton now; the best in quality
that the State has ever had. The
increase in the assessed valuation
of personal property in this State is
a little over 100000 greater for
the year 1881 than for any year pre-
vious, and our people were never so
prosperous and happy as they are
to-day Even in the rum-cursed
cities prohibition has been a bless
ing. The record in our penitentia-
ry is conclusive proof of the beneti-
cial results Of the prohibition law
in this State.
My opinion is that any PROPOSE
ton to return to the old system Of
licensing dram-shops would be de-
feated in this State by at least 49,
600 majority, and if the women
could vote-and l wish they could
the rum power would be buried
without hope of resurrection. I
trust that God may abundantly
bless the good cause everywhere"
1t was voted that 10000 copies of
the letter be published by the Ma
tional Union as campaign docu-
ment.
The following paragraph in Gov
st. Johns letter was read in the face
of a vehement protest by the chair :
II hope the Convention will re-elect
Miss Willard president. Her infu-
ence in the cause of temperance has
been great, not only in the West,
but throughout the entire country"
The Governors recommendation