Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-08-17
TACKLING THE TIPPLERS.

4 distinct prohibition party in Grant
county were taken at the court house,
Monday evening, under the supervision
and with the assistance of Mcssrs. G. r. |
Ellsworth and L. G. Richmond. The
court house was well filled, notwith-
the warm weather, when Mr..
Ellsworth called the meeting to order
and suggested that he should like to
have the audience remain until the con-
clusion of the exercises. The gentleman
said in favor of his suggestion that they
were as well of there as anywhere, and
the night being warm they could not
sleep even if they went home, and by
little exertion in keeping their fans 60
ing could be quite comfortable. Mr..
Ellsworth then introduced Mr.. Rich
mond, who was the principal speaker of
the evening.
The gentleman said that he was there
to advocate a principle and denounce q
system. He was the representative of
the Wisconsin State Prohibitory Amend
ment Association, which was organized
year ago last June, to secure pro-
hibition amendment to the Constitution.
The object of the association was not
seeking office or assisting politicians
but to get temperance ballots to cast
against the liquor traffic.
He would give them motto and that
was, The saloon, the brewery and the
distillery, must go"
The association had been organized
just as any other association. 1t had
nominal capital OF 100000 divided
into one hundred thousand shares at
one dollar each. This stock was assess
ible but no man need fear an assess
ment, and even if it should be assessed
holders might pay the assessment or
not, just as they pleased
The speaker then paid his respects to
the liquor dealers association who were
threatening to wipe out the prohibition
lists, and said when the wipins out pro-
cess came they wanted to be there and
have 4 hand in it.
They were going to make it very
warm for all who were not temperance
men. He then glanced briefly at some
of the different laws on the statute
books and asserted that the present
laws i'll regard to the liquor traffic were
given by the Milwaukee liquor men and
there would never be any better until
those at present in power were thrown
out.
Prohibition was full brother of
and those who did not adj
NIT the relationship would be given a
back seat. Speaking of those persons
who were always resting on the fence
waiting to see which way the majority
were going the gentleman said: "Sit on
the fence if you want to, but we will
make that fence so exceedingly sharp
that it will not be very comfortable
seat"
As regards the question of personal
liberty everybody was a bigger man
than anybody. The law says you can
not build powder mill or a slaughter
house in the heart of city because the
community objected to having it there
and the individual had to give way. 1t
was useless to talk of moral suasion.
the law was moral suasion with a good
whip back of it.
The speaker had been criticised once
by a clergyman for being too harsh with
the saloon keeper; should have tried to
lead them to Jesus: but, said Mr.. Rich
mond, | object to leading saloon keep
ers to Christ; he is too good and too
pure q character to have saloon keepers
led to him.
The word home was one of the grand
est and dearest of words; yet home, that
last resort for weary man, where he
might rest for another struggle with the
world, was invaded by this liquor traf-
lic, manhood ruined and womanhood
by it. Many were loud voiced
in defense of what they termed their
rights as citizens, but if the speaker was
a betting man he would wager one
hundred dollars that not one of them
could define the meaning of the word
citizen. There was but one authorita
tive definition in this country and that
was found in the constitution. 1t di-
vides citizens into two classes; first, all
persons born in this country, and the
speaker called attention to the second
word, did not say men, or women, or
children, but persons; second, all per-
sons naturalized here and subject to
the laws Of Congress. Therefore little
child was rs much citizen rs a stall
wart man. Women and children are
citizens
Mr.. Richmond then, as FOREIGNER.
addressed himself to the foreigners in
the audience, if there were any. They
had come from a land where they had
no homes and never could get them:
where their manhood was never recoo-
nized; where they were not men and
women but zero. They were first made
men on American shores. America had
made men of them, given them homes
and made them eligible TO every Office
in the nation, save one. Hence, since
America made men of you, we have the
right to say to you; leave your in
famous vices behind; leave your bad
habits behind.
In conclusion the speaker said any
one who would say that prohibition
would hurt the Republican party ought
to be sued for SANDER. If anything will
save the party it is a big dose of pro-
If that will hurt it, it is
mighty sick already. Thanking the
audience for their attention the speaker
gave way to his colleague.
Mr.. Ellsworth said the prohibition
spoken of by the former speaker was
Just his kind of prohibition. He had
rather vote for sober Democrat any
time than for drunken Republican.