The Portland daily press., 1884-10-25
Folly of the st. John Campaign.
Extract from Speech by Ex-Governor
Perham at Providence, II. Il.


Ex-Gov. Perham delivered political speech
In Providence, r. l., recently, in the course Of
which he took occasion to express his views
upon the position of the Prohibition party In
this campaign. The following is a synopsis of
his remarks upon that subject:
He had nothing TO say against the candidate of
this party, but he thought he had right to voice
in The matter Of temperance. For forty-hve years
he hal been trying to further the cause of temper
ance in its various FORMS During this time he had
not been uninteies ested observer, but he had
watched the operations by which this cause had
been carried on. He would say at the outset that
the result of his experience is that temperance
man could do inside political party that
y ud elect someb ,dy, that could do some thing.
'han an outside party, and be able to do anything
and elect nobody. (Applsuse) He would apply
TINS matter. st. John may be o good man and
might make good President, II elected. Still 1
am thoroughly convinced that those men cal ing
themse YES the National Prohibition party are en-
tlrely IN the wrong. regard 1t as one of the most
stupsndous fOllies of the time. These pc pie are
telling us that there Is no difference between the
Republican and the Democratic p prtie+; nay, they
go further they tell US thai down south the Demo-
cratic party is the Temperance party. If so, so
much the better for the Democratic party South.
They would find good missionary field among
their party friends in the North. But what the
facts in relation TO this matter? Facts stubborn
things. The Democr tic party is opposed 10 the
%
which they have lanIed themseve-. Although
Grover Cleveland did not know anything about the
tariff, there are two thugs that he does know and
one Is That he Il opp sed TO these laws. You re-
member, he continued, that the other day, when he
had the only demonstration that has been given TO
him Set in this campaign there carried in the
procession tra sparency saying mo Maine Law
for Us. | am showing you the position of the
The Boston Post referring 10 this subject declared
that the PrOhibtionist had reason to hot for
anything from the democratic party. rhe Demo-
cad n ar0h
iOdio Liquor Association the other day declared
thst the only way TO des'rsy prohibition in
this country was to defeat the kepub lean party
and elect a Democratic national administration.
And they talked truly no doubt. 1t has been "a d
that the liquor dealers are helping st. john They
can aft nd 10 for every vote taken ffom the Repub
iican party weakeDs the Republican party Just so
much. Now these rum men, these liquor dealers
understand full well what hat means. Now about
tie Republican party IN this mat or. Nearly every
tie that hss been m de forward IN the direction OF
legislation prohibiting the liquor traffic has been
d he under the sanction of the Republ can party
(applause) and in opposition to ths Republic in
PARTY. ALI the legislation have in Maine this
party. kn W that in New Hsmpshire Ysrmoni
IN Oh o, and un lerstand in Kansas and in other
states where there has ben any progress made in
this dire c1oD, 1t has been done by the Republ an
party and In the face Of the oppos ton of the Dem
ocratic party. iApplause) Take another thing.
" bile l ~oud be glad {, rec national prohibition,
10 zee the liquor traffic entirely wiped out in this
Country yet cannot forget the fact that it is i'm
pra ticable until the people are better educated
this country are in favor OF prohibition aud the
prohibitory law is of little uni you have the
Pc pie To efoI CO it. When you get public sebti
ment strong enough to sustain prohibition, then
you will hnd the Republican party ready TO AXE
hold OF It. (Applause) There is one thing the
Prohibiiohists eau do, and that is get commi.
lion appointed by Congress investigate and gath
statistics with reference to the manufacture i'm
portation md sale of intoxic4i liqoors. Now,
what is the record of the parties in reference to
that subject? In 1875 the matter was brought |
in the Senate. and a bill wac passed providing |
fart rhn nraar ~ asnnt
passed by vote of 81 against 20. OF the 81, Que
Was Democrat; of the 20 who voted against it |
very one were democrats. The House was Demo |
cratic and refused to act upen it. Then, in 1882,
that same subject came up again, and 1t passed the
Senate again by vote of "a to IA. OF the "a |
Z8 were Republicans and Dem Icrats; of the IA |
who voted against it, all Democrats. Well, |
MI. Dingey, after the passage of that last act
dertook TO plot it in the House. but defeated
by the Democratic House. Mr. JOY ce. in 1882, un-
dertook to bring it up again in the House, and upon
that vote there we're liz yeas and "a nays, not |
bill failed again. or The IL yeas were Demo
Gratis; OF the "a nays all Democrats. What Is
the record of the parties on the subjec? call the
attention OF the prohlbiLionsts TO this fact. MIR.
ling ey told me few DAYS ago that there ten
men spotted for defeat after that affair, and every
one OF them was defeated by the liquor inte est. |
He would name one instance, that Il a gent eman |
nom Michigan, Mr.. Burrows. He voted Iu favor of |
this commission, and as result the liquor sellers
combined gainst him; and what is more renarka- |
bic about the thing, instead of receiving th sup
port OF the emperance men ia his district. the Ma
u 'udl ErOulDiLtu party 0OmlnateQ another mau |
and carried off some 400 or 500 votes, and in this |
way defeated him.
In Maine the national prohibition party is weak |
and therein lies the strength of prohibition in the
State We are able tn elect governor legislature
and generally local officers favorable to the law as
well as full delegation in Congress- ady to do
any reasonable thing the temperance people may |
ask. But ii in the last election the National Prohi
bitiou party could have drawn away 10000 OF a.
IN U votes the opDosItion ticket would have been
elee ed and all these influences would have against
u.s. Even Mr.. Dngley, after all he has done for the
temt erance cause would have been defeated and an
opposer of prohibition elected if this party la the
district couid have drawn away votes enough to ac-
comp ish it, 1t is them literally true that prohibi
ton Is strong in Maine because the National Prohi-
6ition party IS weak. might cite instance after n-
stance ia which the action OF that party has been
as inconsistent and suicidal as these named.
In conclu>ion tho speaker said: Now, my friends
II you accomplish anyth in this matter it will be
by combination with others. As lar as am con-
cerned am from head to foot a temperance map
and am also Republican rs earnestly as am a |
temperance man. hold my Republican views with |
Just as much tenacity as any other views enier
tain, hence my only way is to act with the party
that will do most in the performance of those things
hat are 80 near to my heart. (Appiause.) have |
been in this cause too long, done TOO much got too
OLD In the work to throw away the influence of a |
life times tn give my vote ia way that can have no
earthly elect except TO aid Grover Cleveland. |
CHEERS ana applause which lasted for several mo-
ments)