The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-17
Extinction Of the Traffic in Liquor the plti-
mate Object, but High License and Local
Option Will Answer for the Present
Delegates Declare They Have No Inten-
tion of Organizing Third Party.
Existing Situation in the First Indiana Dis
trict-Gen. HoVey Likely To Be Elected
Chances of the Legislative Ticket
AGAINST THE SALOON.
The Demands the Anti-SaloOn Republicans
Make Upon Their Party.


Make Upon Their Party.
CHICAGO, Sept 16-The first national con-
vention of the anti-saloon Republicans began it's
session in this city, this forenoon. The conven-
tion was held in the Madison-street Theater.
When the convention was called to order there
were about three hundred delegates on the
floor, with only sprinking of outsiders.
few ladies and gentlemen were in the gallery.
The convention was called to order by Mr.. AL
bert Griffin, of Kansas, who asked Rev. Arthur
Little, of Chicago, to open the proceedings with
prayer Mr. Griffin then said he was requested
to suggest the name of United States Senator
Henry W. Blair, of New Hampshire, for tenn
porary chairman; j. c. Shafer, of Illinois, tenn
porary secretary; L. r. Elliott of Kansas as
sistant secretary, and E. r. Hutchinson, of Des
Moines, Ia, reading clerk. The gentlemen sug
gested were elected unanimously. Ex-Congress-
| man Frost. of Massachusetts; ex-Congressman
Price, of Iowa. and Judge Sayler, of Indiana,
were appointed to escort Senator Blair to the
| platform. In addressing the convention, Sena-
| tor Blair said:
Gentlemen OF the Convention-I feel highly
honored in being asked to preside over this great
! and historic convention, which firmly believe
| will live in the annals Of all time We are here
for the destruction of the rum traffic throughout
| this country and throughout the world think
l speak the sentiment of the convention when l
| say that as between free rum and low license,
| we are in favor of high license. Cheers. That
| as between high license and prohibition,
in favor of prohibition" Great cheers. Mr.
Blair went on to say that they also met as Re
| publcans. They were in that party. and could
| not be driven out, and he WAS one of those who
believed that it was only through the Repnb-
| ican party that the suppression of the liquor
| traffic could be secured
| The call of the States was then proceeded with
| to form committees permanent organization,
| credentials, order of business and resolutions.
The committee resolutions consists of the fol-
| lowing gentlemen Rhode Island, Henry B.
Metcalfe; New Jersey, John Y. Foster; Indiana,
| Thomas B. Reddiug; illinois, r. e. jenkins;
| Wisconsin, James Sutherland; Minnesota, j. S.
Smith; Kansas, T. D. Thatcher; Massachusetts
Rufus S. Frost; Vermont, j. G. Meade; Michigan,
| Albert Dodge; New York, John l. Plat.
The committee credentials reported that
| 1877 accredited delegates were present, as fol-
lows: Illinois, 49, Iowa, 20; Kansas, 80; Indiana,
| 49, Maine, 1; Vermont, 8; New York, 6; Rhode
Island, z; Michigan, g. Wisconsin, 12 Massa
chusetts, IL; Nevada. l; Minnesota, Is; Texas, q
Dakota. l; Pennsylvania, l; Ohio, 1; New Jersey,
| Z; New Hampshire: 2
The committee on permanent organization re-
| ported the name of ex-senator William Window,
| of Minnesota, for permanent chairman. He was
| unanimously elected. The secretaries pro tenn.
were elected as permanent officers. Vice -presi-
dents were named. ono for each State.
Mr.. Window was loudly cheered as he was
escorted to the chair by ex-senator McDill. of
| Iowa, and General Conway, of New York When
the chairman appeared before the convention he
| said:
Gentlemen of the Conference--I highly ap-
| precate the great honor you have conferred
upon me. There are, possibly. other gentle
men present who could state better than /
| the precise purpose of this convention. We
are here under the call of true and loyal
| Republicans. desiring, through that party, to
accomplish what we believe will be a great good
| for the American people. For myself, / never
had the slightest thought of attempting to or
ganize new political party. think that such
thought does not enter the mind Of any other
delegate here present. The party that freed the
slave, that dignifed human labor, that enacted
! homestead laws, that suppressed the great Re-
| bellon. that defended it's honor in peace and ad-
vanced it to the front rank of the nations Of the
| the earth, is good enough for me-" The speaker
said the record of the party for twenty years
showed its willingness to Grapple this new issue
! and carry it to victory. The issue was as grave
as any that the Republican party had ever had
| to meet in the past 1t resolved itself into the
question whether the saloon was to dominate
| the the politics of the Nation. 1--WE do not
| meet to dictate to the Republican party" said
the speaker, I'VE are here simply for consulta-
ton. We meet to encourage it to take hold of
| this question, which it will have to DO, and
the sooner the better" The speaker
| said he would look at the question solely
from a political stand point and not from the
moral stand point. The saloon was in politics
with its assessments and money. 1t was the
open ally of anarchy. 1t, to day, controlled the
politics of every large city. 1T elects your
| mayors" said the speaker I'm Minnesota the
Democratic party had nominated for Governor
| the very incarnation of the saloon interest" He
then spoke for thirty minutes on the general is
sue. He touched on Prohibitonists, and said it
was his view that they could carry out their pur-
poses in better way. In following the lead of
| the Republican party they would find that that
| party had said that slavery should extend no
| further, and on that platform slavery was abso-
| lutely abolished. If the Republican party would
declare for high license, localoption, and recog-
nize the right of the people to vote on the ques-
| ton directly when they wished to do so, all 10y
ers of temperance should follow that lead.
On the conclusion of Mr. WINDOWS address the
convention adjourned to o'clock.
When the convention reassembled in the
afternoon, the committee on resolutions was
not prepared to report, and did not appear be-
fore the convention until 5 o'clock. In the
meantime short speeches were made by num-
Der of delegates on the general temperance issue
in the several States of the Union
The report of the committee was as follows:
The Anti-saloon Republicans, by their representa-
ves in national convention assembled do declare as
follows
First-That the liquor traffic, it exists to oday in
the United States. is the enemy of society fruitful
source of corruption in politics. the ally of anarchy
and school of crime, and, with its avowed purpose
of seeking to corrupy control elections and legisa
tion is a menace to the public welfare and deserves
| the condemnation of all good men.
Second--That we declare war against the saloon,
and hold il to be the supreme duty OF government
Ia all al