Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-10-04

J they have given to me. desire also b
} express the hope that the action OF thi
convention nay Strengthen our cause, Q
nome and abroad, and that the time ma,
speedily come when every citizen and ever,
city government in Kansas, shall respec
her constitution and lava
The following named persons were ap
pointed committee on resolutions: Al
bert Griffin Of Manhattan, Col. A. B. Jet
more of Topeka, Chancellor James Marvin
Of Lawrence. James F. Lesaie Of Leaven
worth, Josb Mulvane Of Topeka, Rev. H
". Chsfte. Of PAIs,ns, Rev. F. S. McCabs
Of Topeks.
The conve rticn adjourned until o'clock
pm.
| LvEEING SESSION.
At s Q clock the evening session of the
convention WIS called to order by President
Campbell. Ex-Governor ST. John, Hon. J,
t. Lsgsie, Capt. J. B. Johnson, Hon. Albert
Griffin, Joab Mulvane, Rev. DR.. McCabe
R:v. Philip Krohn CT Atchison, Rev. J.
Thompson of Mania tap, and Col. A. B,
Jetmore occupied seats on the stage.
Prayer was offered by Rey. DR.. McCabe
after which tbs president introduced the
first speaker of the evening Hon. Albert
Griffin, of Manhattan, who spoke as fol.
lows:
Speech Of Hon. Albert Griffin of Mnn.
haitian.
Mr. President and Lodis and G.ndemen:-
l have been announced to fpsak on
The relation of Prohibition to the Re-
publican party" but my subject is more
properly "The relation of Prohib tonists
to the Republican party 1t ls a COM
mon practice for the eggTessors to charge
their opponents with beginning the
contest" In the old dsye, the pro.slay
cry men, by such acts as the fugitive
sla 7e law, and the repeal OF the Missouri
com premise, continually made slavery
subject of political action and at the
same time vehemently denounced the
abolitlonists for stirring up strife. In
ike manner the friends of the saloon
interest are psrpetuslly asking why
can't you let prohibition stay out of pol
itictp Temperance ia a moral question,
why keep thrus!IIg 1t into the political
arena?
Our answer is thst the enemies of pro-
hibition ard not it's friends have made
IL a PARTISAN question. When the anne nd
ment was under discussion, the Kansas
Safe Temperance Union requested polit-
zeal parties 10 ignore the subject in their
platforms and they did SO. The law
passed to enforce it was also supported
~ sone members Of all parties and op-
posed by othere.
When the statute went into force, the
saloons ell closed, and most temperance
a4en thought the struggle ended. They
soon, however, discovered their mistake
One after another, the dramsellers re-
turned to their lairs. gathered their
subjects around them and Getied the
laws. Successful ia their frs. contest
with the courts, they became truculen.
I'D loudly threatened with political
ruin all who opposed them. At this
lnncture, demagogues sniffed the tainted
air, and concluded that they could help
themselves by consolidating the oppo-
nents Of prohibition into one political
party.
ACTING UPON THIS IDEA,
The Atchison PatrIot, Democratic
paper, during the summer of 1881, sent a
circular to Democratic leaders in all parts
OF the Stale, asking their views upon the
question Of prohibition, and also what
they thought of the propriety of the
next Democratic State convention taking
q position in favor of resembling the
amendment. Fifteen or twenty answers
we're Published, and nearly all of them
denounced prohibition, and gave it as
the opinion of the writers that the Dem
ocratic party ought to take ground againt.
it. Conventions in Leavenworth, Atchi-
son, Bourbon and other counties, adopted
very bitterly delouncing pro.
and all of the Democratic papers
published in towEs of any sizs, COM
mended them for 30 doing Under these
it quickly became an ad-
mitted proposition that the next Demo-
cratic State convention won!d do just
what it did dc, take unequivocsl ground
IN favor of repeating The prob hitory
During the tali of 1851,
NO KNOWN PROHIBITION DEMOCRAT
was nominated for Office in any county
where it was pos. ibie that he could be
elected. At the same time, in many
cases, anii-prohibi ion republicans
where they could not control Republican
voted for and elected Dem
ocrsiic candidates.
These facts demonstrate that yr ,hibi-
ton had already BEEN made al issue by
those who opposed it. Those who now
have SO mucn to say about keeping it out
Of poit cs were, however, silent then, or
encouraged the sgitators. The reason
was very evident, their side seemed to
be gaining by it. So long as the Demo
cratic party was run in the interest of
the drsmshop, and anti-prohibition Re-
publicans, when unable to control that
patty, could aud would vote for Demo
Gratis in preference to Republican prohi-
they complacently wagged
their heads and openly boasted that
"The damned thing will soon be wiped
out of the constitution and laws"
Unfortunately, for the success of their
schemes, prohibitionists are not fools.
They soon realized that an organized
enemy must be met by an organized
force, and there was severe talk of
ORG AIMING A PROHIBITION PARTY.
To this proposition each and every Re-
publican paper and politicians that now