Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-05-22
Governor St. John said:

Just now We are hearing great deal
of talk about the necessity of harmony
in the Republican party, which really
don't affect me personally, for l have
never been out of the party, nor have I
ever bolted the nomination of Repuh.
lican, or knowingly done or said any.
thing inconsistent with the principles al
the party as proclaimed in its PLATFORM:
nor have Republican Prohibitionists evsf
boiled State ticket, or any part Of it, q
done anything to defeat the nominees a
the party. 1t was the anti Prohibitions
lists that rebelled and voted the Demo-
cratic ticket. Now if they want hsrmo-.
[oy, let them first purge themselves q
tt cir treason; lay down their arms and
come back into the Republican Union,
and they will be forgiven. But they
must remember that the fatted calf was
not killed until after the prodigal son
had repented and returned to his fathers
house.
But do the boilers really want har-
mony2 Let us see. Two years ago they
were clamorous for the nomination Of
Judge Scion 0. Thatcher for Governor.
They saw that while Judge Thatcher was
a prohibitionist, he was not fanatic"
but a conservative man, strictly honest,
and man of great ability, which no one
denied.
They knew then that they would not
dare to attempt to force the nomination
Of an anti-prohibitionist. But Judge
Thatcher was defeated in the Conven-
ton. No one has ever claimed that II
was not fairly done, but these men were
not willing to abide by the verdict of the
party thus fairly given-they bolted.
Now While do not assume to speak for
any party nor for any organization or
society, but speak only for myself when
I say, that l think as rule Prohibition
Republicans, in the interest of "harmo-
ny" are willing to unite upon Judge
Thacher, but the boilers say No, away
with him, we demand man who nevcr
was prohibitionist, Now I submit, 70
not Judge Thacher just as honest, just
as able, just as conservative as he was
two years ago7 Do these gentlemen
claim thathe isless worthy now than then?
Is it not an admitted fact that the prohi-
bition sentiment is much stronger now
than then, and that at least seventy-f1ve
per cent. of the Republicans of Kansas
are Prohibitionists? Could any thing
more be reasonably asked in the interest
of harmony? Now it must not be for
gotten that this seventy-6ve per cent.
has been true to the party. 1t is not by
their votes That Kansas has Demo-
cratic Governor to-day, but by the votes.
of the very boilers who while crying
aloud for the lion and lamb to lie down
together, demand that the lamb shall be
inside the lion. l am not of that flock
OF lambs.
Less than twenty-five years ago the
Southern States were in open rebellion
against the Constitution and laws of our
common country. We called it treason
then. To-day the cities of Atchiscn and
Leavenworth are not only in open rebel
lion against the Constitution and laws Of
the State of Kansas, but defantly adver-
tise through the public press readiness to
violate law. l was in favor of suppress
ing rebellion against the United States
twenty years ago, and l am in favor Of
suppressing rebellion against the Consti-
tuition and laws of Kansas now. While
l have no personal choice as to who shall
do it, l emphatically say that l would
much prefer to entrust the work to
man who is opposed rather than to one
who is supported by the nullifiers. With
me this is matter of principle, and
when / look back over the past four
years struggle between our homes and
the saloons; when think of the bribery,
forgery, perjury and fraud, that has been
resorted to by the whisky ring to Dullify
the laws and defeat the will of the peo-
pie; when / call to mind how patient,
how lenient, how nearly unanimous the
people have been, how right here in
Topeka we for the sake of peace and
harmony were induced to rely upon
pledges that the laws would be respected,
only to see those pledges ruthlessly
broken and the constitution and laws Of
our beloved State corruptly and defantly
trampled under foot. Now that the
victory has been won for the right, no
backward step should be taken. Nor
should we forget those who have alaUdys
been true.
On the 10th day of January, 1888, here
in Topeka a resolution was unani-
mously adopted by prohibition
convention of twelve hundred delegates,
pledging to vote for no man or party
favoring licensed dram shops. l heartily
endorsed that resolution then, and am
more than ever in favor OF it now, and
in this position, God helping me, shall
never falter. I was born In the West
and have lived nearly all my life on the
border between the fires of freedom and
slavery. 1 have had my Republ canism
burned and blistered III to every bone
and fibre of my organization, and as q
lifelong Republican l want harmony.
! desire to zee the party of Garrison,
Phillips, Sumner, John Brown and Lin
coin march steadily onward and up
ward to even srander victories for the
right than it ha. ever won before. But
it is better that it suffer thousand de.
feats and be right, thai gain single
victory through the sacrifice of principle.
John Walrufs brewery and the church
can never ioin hands Or the same plat