Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-01
kNriflng EnAf RarN.
st. JOHNS LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE.

.siah1 Oouatg were III Town. ABOUT
SJ+tO changed hands.
st. JOHNS LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE.
BY Telegraph to Posi- ISTELLIGEsCER.
OLATHE, Kan, Sept. ", 1884.
To Hon. Samuel Dick. Chairman Of the
CoB'Hittee-MY DEAR SIR In formally
accepting the nomination for the Presi-
dency rendered me by the National Pro-
edition Convention at Pittsburg, Pa.
on July %, 1884, | take this opportunity
TO state that, while the honor was
neither sought nor desired by me. vet il
Is greatly appreciated. bestowed as ii
was by Convention composed of dele
gates who, In point of moral worth and
mental ability, were fully equal, if not
superior, to any political Convention
thai has ever assembled in this country.
The war for the Union is over: the re-
belliou has been crushed, and African
slavery abolished. The old issues have
passed away, and with them should 90
old prsjudices and sectional strife. To-
day the products of the North and
South float 10 a friendly relation in the
same channels under the same flag, and
every section of our coantry acknowI-
nent. There never was time when
eur people could better afford to, and
when 1t was more important that they
should, stop and think than now, with
manufacturers shutting down, banks
breaking. merchants failing in business,
securities unsettled, Western wheat sell
ing at the home market fer 40 cents per
ushel. and hundreds of thousands of
industrious mechanics and laboring men
who are willing to work can get nothing
10 do, 1t seems to me that the time has
come for the people, who are the source
of all political power, to call halt and
stop and think, for there must be Tea
son for this condition of things.
The little time and space the old par
ties can spare after dealing out the full
measure of personal abuse and villitica-
ton that each seems TO think the other
merits, Is mainly devoted to a discus
sion of the tariff question, ignoring all
matters that relate to the moral eleva-
tISa of the people. | am of the epin-
lou manufacturer, who by reason of
the depressed condition of business
has been compelled to make an assign
neni for the benefit of his creditors,
will not find relief in the agitation of
that question now, nor will the average
farmer become very enthusiastic over
It's discussion with his wheat no; worth
as much in the bin as it cost him to
produce it. The amount received by
the Government for duties on imports
Is less than 500. 0O0, 900 annually.
There are about 10000 retail dealers
in intoxicating liquors in the United
States, each of whom pays to our Gov
eminent x25, in consideration of which
sum he is permitted to carry on his
business for term of twelve months.
When We add to this the amount paid
by dissiliers, brewers and wholesale
dealers. We find that the interest of the
Government IN the maintenance and
sale of Intoxicating liquors is about
eighty million dollars annually.
This traffic, sanctioned as it is
by the laws of the country, costs
the people. at a low estimate, thou
sand million dollars year, not to speak
of the destroyed homes, debauched
manhood, poverty, heartache, crime and
corruption it produces. This disgrace
full business should be suppressed, and |
the enormous sum of money that under !
the present system is worse than thrown
away, saved to the people, and thus q
protection would be given to the indus |
tries OF tue country, that would enable |
US successfully to throw our doors open |
wide to the competition of the world.
The Republican and Democratic par |
ties favor the continuance of the mana |
factHre and sale of intoxicating liquors |
as a beverage, while the Prohibition |
party demands that the same shall be |
forever suppressed. Thus an issue is |
presented to the people in whish is in |
volved the protection of every home In |
the land. Ii is not a mere local issue |
either, but 1t IS a national as we'll as a |
practical question upon which a large |
aud respectable body of citizens against |
whose convictions party discipline is |
powerless, have decided to vote, and |
they will not be found hating between |
two opinions touching this matter, but |
will work aud pray and vote against |
this great evil until 1t ID driven from our |
land never to return. A government is |
sinply a reflex of the individuals COM |
posing it. If We want an honest. sober |
government, We must have an honest, |
sober people but We can never have |
an honest, sober people so long as the |
government sanctions that which makes |
It's citizens dishonest, drunken and cor |
rupt.
The declaration of principles, which |
L uCaAsAiy ihaoAocf 40 SSk iOktu Iu6
platform of the Prohibition party, is
entitled to the thoughtful consideration
and earnest support of all good citizens, |
without regard to locality or former po-
litical utilization. Our country needs
an administration that will rise above
mere partisan considerations. and in the
selection of public officials make hon
essy, sobriety and efficiency, aud not
service to party, the test. 1t should be
conducted not in the interest of any
particular section, party, race, or color,
but in the interest of the whole people.
To accomplish this, good citizens should
promptly step to the front and be count
ed for the right. This is no time for
lodging. Moral cowardice will never
win, and surely never deserves a victory.
Then let Us look to God for His
guidance, and fearlessly and faithfully
do our whole duty, never doubling that
He will take care of the result. Very
truly, your friend, j. P. ST. JOHN.