Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-07-24
POLITICAL.
THE PROHIBITION CONVENTION.
Opening Session at PittsbuTg-Comple-
ton Of the Permanent 0rganiZa.
tioH-A Prominent Part
Taken by Ladies.

UC uattNDAI EFNIAuGtluI convention VA
called 10 order al II o'clock by Gideon
Miner Of Boston.
The call for the convention was then reAl
by W. X. Nelson Of Chicago.
An address Of welcome was delivered BY c,
l.. Rose of Piusburg. He described il as
very great honor and pleasant duty TO wei
come 10 Pittsburg the delegates ofthe national
prohibition convention. Never did = party
more Justly plead Tor help than this one.
Back Of them was a century Of desolation
caused by the legalized liquor traffic. The
demands Of the age could not be met without
the prohibition party.
Gideon L. Stewart, chairman of the national
committee, responded on behalf of the con-
vention. The hall, Lafayette Hall, in
which they met, added, he said, by its history,
TO the welcome Nearly 80 years ago the
auti-slavery patriots assembled in il To organ
ize another national campaign against the
colossal crime which then ruled and well
nigh ruined the republic
when he had finished his reference TO the
address of welcome, MIR. Stewart proceeded
TO deliver the opening address. He referred
to the relation between the liquor crime and
the slavery crime. Ant-slavery men, he
said, were strangely blind 10 the correlation
y
ago was silent as TO 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 distilleries, he
only echoed a truth evident in the whole his
tory of the African slave trade and OF slav
cry Ant-slavery reformers had lifted the
axe of civil liberty 10 cut down one great
branch of the upas tree, which with its malign
shadow had darkened the republic; and today
they met TO lay the axe to the roots of the
same upas tree and remove the main source
of oppression and injustice to labor and of all
crime, vice, ignorance, poverty, debasement
and misery. There were four nomnally
prohibition States at the North and half a
dozen at the South, and yet in the late ma
tional republican convention not a delegate
from one of those ten States had dared to
sign minority report on the liquor question.
And it was the same in the democratic con-
vention. Thus all republican and democratic
prohibitionists were bound as serfs of the
liquor power under the lash of their party
keepers. When the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union stood at the door of the
republican national convention pleading for
the protection of homes, they were treated
with silent contempt. What could more
party to the liquor power?
A telegram from Rochester, n. Y, that
ex-Gov st. John of Kansas, stated positively
that he was not a candidate, was freely circu-
lated.
DR. Blanchard of Illinois said that not
withstanding this, Mr.. st. Johns name would
be presented to the convention, and if nom
mated he would accept,
This temporary organization was effected
by the choice of VIM. Daniels of Maryland
as chairman, and Mrs. Woodbridge, president
of the Ohio womans christian temperance
union. aud Chlrles G. Carter of Washington,
secretaries.
MIR. Daniels in taking the chair, spoke of
the progress which prohibition was making in
Maryland. The general result, he said. was
that the jais of Maryland were empty. prop
erty had appreciated schools and churches
were better filled, and every interest in the
State was better promoted.
The secretary made report of the number
of delegates, 500 in all. from the various
appointed. When the roll of States was
called for members Of the committee, the
duties of secretary were performed by Mrs,
Woodbridge, and responses were made in
two or three cases BY ladies. Members of
the committee on credentials we're also in a
few cases ladies.
The convention then at l.30 took a recess
until p. NJ.
Upon re-sssembing, prayer was offered.
followed by the singing Of Coronation
by the whole convention.
The secretary reported the following rep