St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-17
ST. JOHN TALKS.
He Tells Why He FOrsook the G. o. P.
to Become the Pr0hibi-
tiOn Leader.
A Number of Reasons Why the Government
Should Raise the Black Flag Over
the Dram Shop
The Republican Party Receives n Castiga-
ton for its Refusal to Advocate
Temperance Principles.

of the most enthusiastic and successful
meetings ever held in this city. The gov
ernor has improved very much in his style o.
oratory since be was here two years ago, ant
no speaker who has been in Minneapolis thi:
winter, not even Cough, has had "a larger o.
more appreciative congregation to speak to
The meeting was success, and the cause O.
the third party people will be wonderfully
helped by the work of their chieftain in thi!
state. Hon Charles Evans Holt was intro
duced by Mr.. Satterlee as the presiding off
Ger, and with him upon the platform were
Rev. W. W. Satterlee, Charles Evan.
Holt, Aid. Lawrence, DIR. L. W. Denton
chairman of the state central committee
John NJ. Durham, grand worthy chief ten
plar OF the Good Templars; Geo. w. PENN
man, grand worthy templar of the Temple o.
Honor; Luther Bxby, editor of the ReView
j. NJ. Underwood, NJ. d. Cone, r. j. Men.
denhall, Prof. W. R. Dobbyn, w. A. Mitch
ell, K. P. Lupton. Rev. Geo. T. Wells, editor
of To-Day; Scrap Iron Bill, Rev. Mr.. Taber
DR.. Z. W. Stevens, president of the Reform
club, all of Minneapolis; Rev. R. B. Satter
lee, of Blooming Prairie; Rev. B. F. Kephart
of Clear Lake; Miner Ball, of Excelsior
Hon. J. VI. Douglas, mayor of Anoka; DR.
n. H. Knowles, of Vaudeville; W. w
Parker, of Howard Lake, and others.
Music was furnished by a choir of sixty
voices and an orchestra of fourteen pieces,
under the direction Of Prof. G. L. Robert
son. And after some splendid selections
and prayer by Rev. Kephart, the
speaker of the evening was introduced.
Il come to you tonight" said the
speaker, after the applause had subsidized
Ito have friendly talk with you upon 6
question that has deeper and frmer hold
upon the hearts and consciences of the coun-
try, than any other since Lee surrendered to
Grant at Appomattox. l am here to speak
the truth as God shall give me to understand
it, and if that truth hurts any political party,
the sooner that party gets out of the way OF
the people the better it will be for all con-
cerned. | am here to emphasize the right OF
every citizen to work for and vote for any
party that his conscience tells him is right,
and TO say that any party that attempts to
in terfere with that right, in any
msnner, strikes blow at the very, sheart OF
liberty. [Applausel. The governor an
noun eed that he would talk upon prohibition
from political standpoint, rather than from
partisan. He held that the first glass was
the stepping stone to a drunkard's grave,
and said that the government that legaliZcd
the sale of that first drink is morally respon-
sible for all the results that come from it,
while the voter that exercised his franchise
on behalf of that government is equally re-
sponsible, and can never stand before God
guiltless, while the political party that is too
cowardly to condemn such sale, ought TO be
beaten and will be beaten as long as there is
a spark of manhood left in the breast of the
people. After showing that l0, 000 900 voters
had the pOwerin the recent election 10 choose
Il government for the 50,000,0 900 in ouI
country, he asked the question: What sys-
fem of education is this governing power
giving our Deopel There are two systems
Of education at work in our country; thai
represented by 165, 900 public schools educat-
ing for God, and 200, 900 grog shops educat-
ing for the devil For every dollar We pay
for public school education we pay fifteen tc
the saloons. In defence of our homes snd
our public schools, there must Of necessity bt
a political party organized. A party thai
possesses the moral courage to raise the
black flag over every dram shop. A part,
that will neither take nor give quarter anc
that will continue its work as longas the hag
of our country throws its protecting folds
over a dram shop. Great applause.
The speaker then proceeded to say that up t
June last he had always been Il rabid Re
publican from the organization Of the party
He said, gave nearly tweuty-eight years
loyal service to the Republican party. | cas-
my first ballot for Fremont and fret demand
am voting for freedom yet; freedom of bal
lot, freedom of conscience, freedom of soul.
[Great applause. The governor then gave
his reasons for leaving the ''g. o. p.,'
which were substantially as follows:
1t is well known that at the earnest solicit
tation Of many Republican Prohibtionists,
the executive committee Of the national Pro
hiDition party postponed the convention OF
that party which had been called to meet al
Pittsburg in May, until July %, with the
hope that meantime the Republican party in
its national convention, June 3, wouli in
some manner give satisfactory recognition tC
the cause Of temperance, so that Prohibi
uouists could consistently remain with, and
work for ''the old party" Prohibitionist,
who had always loyalty stood by the Repub
lican party turned toward Chicago, anxiously
waiting for the result. Petitions and memo
ria!s from all parts of the country were pre-.
scented TO that convention, and Miss Franci:
f. Willard, president of the Nationa
Woman's Christian Temperance union, rep
resentiug the unions OF forty-eight states anL
territories, including the District OF Colum bia
made an earnest, very able, and CLIQUE l
appeal to the committee on platform, no
asking the committee for an endorsement OF
the principle of prohibition, but asking only
that the following resolution be made par
of the Republican platform:
''ReSolVed, That this convention recon-
mend the submission by congress to the leg
slaturrs OF the states of a joint resolution
proposing an amendment 10 the constitution
OF the United States, providing for the prOhi
btion Of the traffic in alcoholic beverages
that the same may be adopted or rejected, &C
eordiug to the will of the people"
II will be observed that this names oul,
alcoholic, but not malt liquors; that 1t onl,
asks recognition OF one OF the Fundamental
/ principles upon which civil govern ment I:
based, TO wit: the right OF the people to b,
heard through The ballot. But even this YER
modest request was not only denied hy Tn,
/ com mittec, but ignored by the convention
But not So with the liquor traffic, for tina
| convention declared that "the largest diver.
sity OF industry Is most productive Of genera
| prosperity and of the comfort aud indepeud-
/ ence Of the people" Now, this wa,
! not only intended to, but does, a.
clearly include the manufacture anC
sale OF whisky and beer, as 4
/ does sugar and molasses, and as We vii
show hrrrsftrr, was used 10 catch the ''salooJ
Vote While the convention turned deai
/ ear 10 the plea for our homes, 1t declared
that VIC recognize the importance Of sheer
/ husoaudry in the United States. the serious
! depr. ssion which it is nov exOerieucing and
/ the danger threatening It's future prosperity
and We therefore respect and demand Of to,
/ representatives Of this important agriculture
I interest, Tor readjusimsnt Of duty upon for
eign WOOL in order that such industry shall
have full and adequate protection" Pro-
/ lection 10 wool, pig iron. even whisky anC
beer, but the privilege Of voting on AZ
amendment to the Federal constitution e
protect the homes OF the people against th,
destructive influence OF the liquor trafhr