Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-09-18
COL. JErB1oRE DECLINES.

yesterday:
Messrs. G. F. Kimball, T. B. Carter and
JnO. Q. Rogers, Committee.
Gentlemen:
Yours Of 4th inst. formally notifying
me Of my unanimous nomination to the
Office of Governor of the State of Kansas,
by the Prohibition party, at its conVen-
ton held at Lawrence on the IND OF TINS
month, and asking my acceptance OF the
same, has been received; and alter ma
ture and careful consideration of the
matter, 1 beg leave to state That for
such an unmerited endorsement by my
Prohibition friends, especially when 1t
has been given without my solicitation
or desire, Is very gratifying to me, and
has induced me to give the subject more
careful and exhaustive consideration IN
order, if possible, to comply with your
request, and the desire Of the party.
To occupy the position of Executive Of
the great State of Kansas and to be Gov
ernOr of her intelligent, progressive peO-
pie, is an ambition laudable, ana to be
desired by any citizen. But would
rather be right than to be Governor of
Kansas.
My action in this matter is controlled
simply for the best interest Of the whole
people. and to preserve and promote
prohibition as a means to that end.
Many PrOhibitiOnists were disappOint-
ed and chagrined at the action of the
Republican party at its last State Con-
VentiOn with reference to prohibition, as
manifested in the platform and some Of
It's nominees, claiming that the standard
of prohibition had been lowered.
must confess that I have shared in
this feeling to some extent. But our
criticism In this matter, as 1T seems to
me, should be of the action of those Pro
hibiGOn members of the Convention,
h,
condition Of things.
The fault lies with the ProhibitiOnists
themselves, who in the face of the
numerical strength to have dictated the
policy of the convention on the subject
of prohibition, suffered it to be placed in
its present condition. In fact, from the
unanimous acquiescence In the action of
the convention, by the prohibition mem
bers thereof, we are led to conclude that
the party did all for prohibition, that
was desired by its friends. 1t was not
required to do more. If our representa-
tives made a mistake in this matter and
injury shall result to prohibition, the
fault lies with the ProhibitiOnists in
sending incompetent representatives to
the convention.
1 think it would be unwise in us to at
tempt to break up the Republican party,
at least, until there is positive proof that
All viii admit that all that has been
done for prohibition in this State has
been done by the Republican party,
which entities it to some consideration
at our hands. At least the friends of
prohibition should be disposed to give it
the benefit of a doubt.
That either the Republican party or
the Democratic party will prevail in the
present campaign there can be but little
doubt.
That either John A. Martin or G. w.
Click will be elected Governor in No
Vember seems to me equally certain.
This being conceded, prOhibitiOnists
should support that party and that can
didate which will do less harm to prohi-
bitiOn.
While the platform Of the Republican
party may not be declaration for pro-
hibition, the Democratic platform is alb
solutely declaration against it.
L take it that either of these gentle
men who shall be elected " i'll carry out
substantially the principles of his party
Common honesty would dictate nothing
less, so that while some of our prohibit
ton friends may feel that they have
little to hope for prohibition from John
A. Martin as Governor, they have moth
ing to expect from @. W. Click. While
Mr.. Martin may do nothing for, yet 1 am
constrained to believe he will do moth
ing against prohibition. Mr.. Click, on
the contrary, would not only do nothing
for prohibition, but do all he could to
destroy it. So as between these two
gentlemen, it seems to me that the for
mer is certainly the more preferable for
PrOhibitiOnists to support, seeing that
the alternative is that one or the other
will be chosen the Executive of the
State.
But it may be said, why not organize
an independent political party exclu-I
sively in the interest of prohibition, to
the end, that we may be enabled
to support candidates who are Pro
hibitiOnists. Wisdom would suggest,
that this course should only be adopted
if at all, when by so doing, the cause of
prohibition can be more successfully
promoted.
All great moral reforms at first are
necessarily weak, and need to be pro-
tected by some independent power or
agency, until they acquire sufficient
strength and influence to maintain an
independent existence.
The Christian religion had to be
placed under the protection Of the
Roman Empire-nOt a very favorable
protector-until 1t acquired sufficient
strength and influence to maintain an
independent existence. By this means
it was enabled to survive in the Dark
Ages, aud is our present living, aggres-
sive Christianity. Likewise, It seems to
me, the temperance reform should be
placed under the protection of the Re
publican party, seeing that it is the party
of progress, until it snail become strong
and powerful enough, and capable of as
Stunning an independent position.
1t may be said that the Republican
party is DESTROYS of eliminating prOhi-
bitiOn, in order to secure the support of
the Tum-pOwer which is thought by
many to be a more potent aid for the
political success of the party.