Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-24
THE PROHIBITIONBTS
IN NATIONAL CONTENTION
The Gathering at Pittsburgh y..,srssr-Ad-
dresses or Gideon T. stsva,, ,us william
Daniel or marrlnnd-The states B,pre-

| I9o'hoh' tA.' Jnly % --LafaYett'
Hal was crowded this morning BY the del
egates 10 the National Prohibition copyen
non ana TIER frends. The Convention
was called 70 order prolHptly at II O'Clock
ny oldeon D. steward, and prayer WIS or
Ieied D' hev. Dr. n. a. Minor. OF Boston.
Inc call OF the Convention was then read by
inc secretary, W. x. Nelson, OF Chicago,
and " America " was PLAYED by the hind
An address OF welcome was delivered by
G. l.. Rose. Of Pittsburgh.
Gideon T. Stewart, chairman OF the MI
uonaI committee, responded on behili OF
lhe Convention. When he had finished
his response TO the address OF welcome,
MI. stewart preceded 10 deliver the
OPENING ADDRESS.
he referred TO the relation between
hqllor.cr1me and slavcry-crimc. The anti
slavery men, he said. were strangely blind
10 the correlation OF the two evils, Their
platform thirty-two years ago) was silen,
rs the parent crime Of which slavery was
but the natural offspring. When Senator
Brown. OF Georgia, declared In the Senate
some weeks since that African slavery
was The product OF northern distiIIeries
he only echoed the truth. evident
In the whole history OF the African
slaye-trade and slavery. America had
poured the DESTROYING curse OF lquor-
crime on Africa, and. by the fiat OF ayeng-
Ing justice, Africa had poured back the
curse OF slavery upon America. The two
crimes had mutually sustained and
strengthened each other. The anti-slavery
reformers bad lifted the axe Of civil liberty
TO cut down one great branch OF the upas
tree, which, with It. malin shadow, had
darkened the republic, and to day they met
10 lay the axe to the roots OF the same upas
and to remove the main source Of opprcs-
sion and injustice to labor, and OF all
crime, vice, ignorance, poverty, debase-
ment, and misery. The whole compromise
system for the pretended regulation OF the
taxation and moral cultivation OF liquor
crime was a sin against God and crime
against man. The argument in its support
was all.
ROTTEN WITH WRONG AND RBEKIyC WITH
BLOOD.
1t was the logic OF coied yipers favored
with rhetoric OF fends. Its absurdity was
equal 10 its infamy. One Of the most prcva-
lent and dangerous for-hs OF the compro-
mise with liquor-crime was that Of local
prohibition or local option. The national
crime organized and in the control OF the
Cover nment demanded national prohibit
ton by party formed for the purpose.
An attempt TO reform the National Gov
eminent and TO abolish the ruling Ms
tiOnal crime by merely changing the
laws and constitution OF the State
was as VAIN NJ 10 expect n revolution
OF the sea by a mere wind that turns its
waves. Within State limits constitutional
on nd - TtPobtiffiOya haI 40 AFuriie ban
great good. but as opposed to the national
crime they were as impotent as ropes OF
sand in the teeth OF Niagara. There were
four nominally Prohibition States at the
North, and half q dozen at the South, aud
yet In the late National Republican Con-
yention at Chicago not delegate from one
OF those ten States had dared 10 sign the
minority report on the liquor question,
and it was the same in the Democratic
Convention. Thus all Republican and
Democratic Prohihitonists were bound as
serfs TO liquor power under the lash OF
their parry keepers. When the Women's
Christian Temperance Union, represented
by its honOred and most worthy head. Miss
Frances +. Willard, stood at the door OF
the Republican National Convention plead
ing for the protection OF homes, it was
TREATED WITH SILENT CONTEMPT.
RWhst could more wildly illustrate the
abject seryility OF that party to liquor
power and its per1dy to its own pledges !,
The Anti-Slayery Convention OF 1862 and
the Prohibition Convention OF 1864 dii-
fered in one important respect. The first
ushered in a political party triumph fol.
lowed by civil war. This Convention
came to proclaim glorious peace. It's mis-
sion was the rednlon OF the republic not
In mere form, but in fact, In truth. and
In the hearts OF all people. As the first
and indispensable step TO re1nion there
must be total absOlution from the two
political parties. 1t was OF no consequence
which Of them went first into the grave OF
their master. liquor power. They should
both be quickly buried. [Applause.l Year
after year the warfare betw zen the two
great political parties was prolonged.
Through all these many years the cry from
the hearts OF all the people and all the
churches had been for new party, and
peace, and progress. The Prohibition
party was called into being 10 meet that
cry. 1t proclaimed policy which bound
in unity all religious and moral forces.
was
CIVIL LIBERTY AGAINST CRIME.
License was personal liberty for crime.
The spirits OF the illustriOus founders, pa.
triOts, and sages OF the republic appealed
to them TO 20 forward in this mighty cause
from all the battle-1elds OF the nation;
white winged angels rose 10 bear their
banners from all the million graves Of its
martyred heroes, and from the unnumbered
millions Of dark, sad graves, those who had
been murdered by liquor-crime, with
pale hands. were rising to point the way.
Let the Convention rise to the gran
deur OF Its mission and do its
duty fully, braveIy, and rightly, and
a grateful future would come to crown its
work with iadeless glory.
The address was listened to with close
attention and with occasional plaudits. The
allusion to Miss Willard was greeted with
special applause, and her treatment by the
Republican Convention was denounced
by shouts OF " shame Shame ~
4 telegram from Rochester, y. Y, say
ing that Ex-Governor ST. John. OF Kansas,
in an interview, stated positively that he
was not a candidate, was freely circu-
lated.
DR.. Blanchard, OF Illinois, said tina. not
this, st. Johns nameswould
be presented TO the Convention, and II
nominated he would accept.
TEMPORARY ORGANIZATION
was effected by the choice OF William Da-
MEL, OF Maryland, as chairman, and Mrs.
Woodbridge, president OF the Ohio Wo-
mems Christian Temperance Union, and
Charles s. Carter, OF Washington, ID. c.,
as secretaries.
Mr.. Daniel in taking the chair spoke Of
the progress which prohibition was making
in the State Of Maryland. The general re-
suit, he said. was that the ials OF Maryland
were empty. property had appreciated, the
schools and churches were better filed, and
every interest in the State was better pro-
NOTED. So long, however. rs the National
allowed liquor TO be imported
and issued license stamps, State Consttu-
ton and laws in favor OF prohibitloncould
not be enforced.
MUSIC BY TIE BAND.
The band struck up "Where the Old
Folks Lie" and then there were three
cheers for Maryland and her Little Gil
ant" The audience sang " Dare to Think,
Dare to Do" and then there was demand
that the band should play MARYLAND, Ny
but it was announced that tie
band was not prepared to play the air.
Then ii was proposed to sing 1t, and lady
on the platform recited the first verse. but
that pro POSITION also fell through, and the
Convention went on with business.
FIVE HUNDRED DELEGATES PRESENT.
The secretary made report of the num-
Der Of delegates from the various States
900 IN alD, and Committee on Credentials
was appointed, the States being called, and