Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-09-15

I1On. w. L. OatnpOeIi. or vienna, was
candidate for the position of county at
torney of Sedgwick coanty. subject to the
Republican nominating convention; but
Withdrew his name and gives the following
explanation for his course: in late issue
of the Wichita Times:
81 am. ilnpelled to this course from the
fact that intend to vote against the Re-
publican nominee for Governor; under
sHch circumstances could hardly expect
and certainly would not ask a nomination
of Republican con ention.
l do NOT consider that i'm voting against
st. John | do any injury TO the Republican
party. He is representative and embodi-
ment of the prohibition in kansas to which
am utterly and unqalifietlly opposed. In
opposing st. John do not necessarily an
tagonize the Republican organization, or
the other nominees of the Re Lblican par
ty. They do not represent prohibition,
and it is doubtful if they endorse the plat
form forced upon them by the late conven
ic would be good policy to compel the
nominees OIL the state and congressional
tickets to make common cause with ST.
John, OH the other hand feel certiill that
his defeat would not be disagreeable to sew
eral OF the ticket, nor to Our senator's III
congress, nor to a large majority OF the
Republican officials i'm kansas. -.
In opposing prohibition I@would not
throw any obstacle in the way of morality
or religion. Ii prohibition meant only
the closing of saloons, and this could be
done by ordinary forms Of law, and with
out disregardng the safeguards of free
government, it world have my hearty CO.
operation. Prohibition means more than
this. 1t means stainng of constitution
al guarantees to meet the intolerance Of
religious bigOts. 1t means ext rene penal
ties, unreasonable searches, seizures and
forfeitllrcs, expensive and vindictive litiga-
tions, frequent perj.ries and o:@:,cial mai
fea sances, the weakening Of legal obliga-
ton, aud popular distrust and contempt Of
courts.
Prohibition is the promoter Of dissen-
sion, intemperance and crime; it is the
cloak of the hypocrite, the hobby of the
fanatic, the weapon of the crank and the
intrenchmeht of the rascal. 1t is the bur
den the over-righteous would bind, but
themselves are unwilling to bear. ten
courages insincerity i'm politics and helps
knaves to get Office. Judging by the late
state convention, it has relegated the Re
publican party to the control of preach
crs, renegades and scalawags. 1t threatens
to entail Upon us he degrading stratagem
OF woman ffrage, and rob the people OF
the right of trial by ry.
believe there are independent Rep. biz
cans good enough wise enough and brave
enough, and of sufficient numbers, to de-
feat st John and thereby pit prohibition
i'm its little grave along with those other
illustrious hnmbugs, greenbackism and the
grange. have no faith that p ohibi,ion
will ever prohibit. Any effort in good
faith to rigedly enforce the prohibition
statute, must necessarily strengthen the OPP
position to the prohibition movement. A
big docket of "whiskey cases" is a prngcnt
argument i'm favor Of a r, turn to common
sense i'm the treatment of the liquor qses-
ton. know whereof speak when say
that swhiskey trial." lasting ordinarily
three days does more harm In commi.ni-
ty than saloon would ordinarily i'm three
Years. A few years of so-called prohibi
ton will render it diffic..lt to score the
passage of Who'll. some laws TO legs,late
and restrain the iiq or traffic and still more
difficult to enfore such laws when made.
Let us therefore put q.ietus upon ST.
John and st. Johnism."