Wichita eagle., 1886-10-23
]. y. CAMPBELL'S LETTER OF DECLINA-
IJON.
To the Comfy Central Committee Of the
Prohibition Party, Sedgwick Co., Kan.

Prohibition Party, Sedgwick Co., Kan.
GENTLEMEN:-After due consideration
hereby decline to be a candidate fol
county attorney on the Prohibition ticket.
Please accept my thanks for the honor
your convention conferred upon me, and
the confidence in me. you manifested, by
| giving me the nomination.
1t is due to you, and the party who nom
mated me, in explanation of my course to
say; | knew nothing of a convention of
the Prohibition party in this
county until i O'Clock IA. IN. Of the
day it was held. l did not attend the
convention. | was not candidate before
the convention. | said to committee
who called on me after the convention to
notify me Of my nomination, and to ascer-
tain If | would accept same, that would
take the same under adsisement; but in
my judgment, the party had made mis-
electing the person least desirable. / aul
look to the Republican party for the sue
cess of constitutional prohibition. | am
disposed to try it little longer, at least. |
our state constitution provides for
it, and we ought to be in harmony
with our organic law. Nor am opposed
! to the prohibition party nor to its organ
! ization, and if it sees fit, to placing ticket
in the field Men certainly have this polit
ical right As understand them, they
only propose to make effectual what the
Republican party has undertaken and
what it continually promises the voter it
will do, viz: enact laws which will prohibit
and then enforce them
am Republican, and while am far
from believing that the Republican party
has done its whole duty. yet it is true that
what has been gained in the direction
of temperance, has been very largely
accomplished by the advocates of tenn
perancc, working through the Republican
party. Shall we desert her because she
has not accomplished more? Let US dig
about her" and give her 10 feel more than
ever before, that the advocates Of temper
ancc and prohibition cxpect great things of
her, and if disappointed we viii surely
launch out in our own ship. The Demos
racy haye shown their hand in this county,
in manly way. No need to be deceived
as TO their position On prohibition No
prohibitlonist can consistently vote with
this party now. Democracy promises
nothing but opposition TO this principle
The Republican party ''resolutes' grandly,
and If she will live up 10 her resolutions
and promises She viii make
prohibition as grandly successful
as it is possible for any prohibition
party to make it This the Republican
party must DO or die | believe she will
eventually do IT, There is no middle
ground on the question politically Prohi
bitten is spreading. Ii viii soon be ia
tional issue. The Republican party dare
not shirk H. / do not believe she will
Let the prohibition party see to it that pro
hibition is made a success by The officers
while the Republican party declares in her
conventions in favor of pEohi Iition that
she don't belle her principles ly electing
to Office men whom she don't expect will.
nor intend to enforce the law I;ifsire also
10 s2y that had your party organ
lied earlier and gone 10 work in
systematic and earnest manner, to canvas
The county, should have been seriously
inclined 10 have taken hand with you.
cot that | would have espected 10 he
elected, but that both Democrats and Re
publicaRs might learn to nspect tue de-
mands of the prohibiiion;sts The ab-
sence Of this Organized effort. Is In ny
judgment, worse than no Effort ST all
The foregoing reason. added 70 the fac.
that am q comparative stranger in this !
county leads me to decline your nonaina- !
ton.
Thanking you for the honor. am. with |
respect. l. 2. CAMPBELL.