The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-12-05
A Kansas opinion of 81. John.

The article below, which originally
appeared in the Topeka Comm OHWedlth,
we eorint from the paper published at
OlatEe, the home of the late Prohibit
ionist candidate for President. A gen.
tleman of that town, who is vouched
for as entirely trustworthy, and who
has known Mr.. st. John for years,
writes of the article appended "This
article is substantially correct and eX-
plains the whole matter much better
than | could. lie and his best friends
here appear to rejoice over the election
of Cleveland. You will see from the
paper the small vote he (St john got
in this county CHS OWN, 1913; in his
own ward, 80. live in his ward';
The poet Browning has depicted the
rise aud fall of demagogue, one day
crowned with laurels aud led in triumph
through the streets, the next day follow
ed by a jeering and infuriate mob to
Jail. OF all the little great men that
nave emer- ed from Ob>curity in recent
years, and filled large measure of
notoriety, none 50 suddenly aid UNI
worthily reached a dizzy height as
John i. ST. John, and none will 90 so
swiftly down to merited obscurity as
he will from this time on.
He first attained prominence through
the factious quarrels and jealouses of
the Republican leaders. His nominal
ton was accidental, was the result OF
o. oil
State Convention against the wishes of
the sober elements of the Republican
party, which wanted 10 nominate either
John y. Martin or q. 4. Anthony and
was soon afterwards bitterly repGnted.
AT the time of his sudden elevation
FROM very small type OF country law
yer and politician to the governOrshlp
of a great State, it is fair to assume that
four-titths of the people of the State of
Kansas had never heard OF john II. st.
John. lie was itching to do something
TO make himself prominent and found
the temperance hobby ready to his hand.
He had been once before nominated
for governor by little temperance con-
vention down at Lawrence and had re-
fused the nomination, on the score, that
ne was a Republican first aud was
more interested in the success of his
party than of this movement. The pro-
hibitory amendment was soon after
submitted. The history of hi, connec-
ton with the prohibitory movement of
Kansas is well known to every one.
Glib of tongue, with a face of brass,
impertectly educated, but with abund.
ami &C nceit, totally devoid ofconscence,
but fully alive to the prejudices of the
common people in favor of morally
and temperance and using that for all
it was worth, totally and deliberately
selfish for his own advantage, ST. john
rapidly grew in our State.
lie drew about him two classes of
people. a bigoted but sincere folio wing
of men and women, who believed that
the temperance movement was about to
sweep the nation and morally regener-
ate il and that ST. John was t he great
and pure man who had been raised up
TO lead it, and another larger aud Who'll
ly ineXcusable class of politicians, who
feared his power over this following,
but who had no moral courage to OPP
pose him and who wanted to use his
movement for their own selfish ends.
A new shibboleth, new test of aIlcgi-
the unqualified acceptance of Republi-
cans. Whosoever denied st. John de-
MED prohibition and whatsoever denied
prohibition was forever foresWorn and
lost, and no longer entitled to call him
self member of the Republican party.
1t was reign Of cant and hypocricy
The more intelligent prohibitionists
were in doubt as to st. Johns sincerity
and half inclined to believe him fraud,
but what with the aforesaid combina.
ton of moral cowardice, selfshness
and venality with bigotry the intoler-
ance of the prOhibtionists within the
party, his nomination was forced for
the third time. Thoughtful, reasonable
and fair-minded men were Disguised.
1t became all open secret that St. John
was used by vast cooperative interests
to keep up the temperance agitation so
as to suppress and keep out of sight
issues of more vital importance. Snch
state Of affairs naturally produce a
strong and bitter reaction. The i'm
mediate result was Clicks election two
years ago, the passage of the railroad
commission law and the apparent plac
of Kansas in the category of doubtful
States. The creation of the railroad
commission served to take that ques.
tion out of politics. The downfall OF
st. John and his methods brought the
Republican party, into line and caused
revival OF moral and political courage
in the party but it enlarged the arena
for st. Johns power for mischief-ma
ing. He used his accidental promi