Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-10-15
mont, George A. Brown; Massachusetts,

SOAonel II. II. IaSkell: RhOQo Island, lien
~ B. Metcalf; New York, General Thomas
w. Conway; New Jersey, the Rev. DIR. II.
\. Carroll; Iowa, Hiram Price; Minnesota,
General a: b. Nettleton; Indiana, ex-Gov-
ernor Will Cumback; Wisconsin, E. P.
Wheeler; Kansas, Albert Griffin; Illinois,
W. A. James.
w. w. Brown, for Pennsylvania, and
Alfred Z. Buck, for Georgia, we're appoint
eel by the convention ut large.
The assembly then listened to ten-min-
ute speeches by representatives of the sew
eral States. MIR. Dunn, of Maine, told of
| the success of the Republicans in MAIN
tanning prohibition in his State. Elijah A.
Morse, Of Massachusetts, argued that half
loaf was better than no bread, and that
the saloons ought to be taxed where they
| could not at once be wiped out. This idea
did not suit General Conway, of New York,
| who desired the conference to declare at
once for total humiliation. The Rev.
Ezra Lathrop, Of Minnesota, Methodist,
made compromise speech, and Genera!
Nettleton read the following letter from
Bishop John Ireland, of the Catholic Do
cese of Minnesota:
u appear in the political arena only when
high moral questions are ut stake. This is
the case to-day. The liquor interest, in
the boldness of its attitude, in its expressed
determination to respect no law and to
make all other interests subservient to itself,
is most serious menace against all that We
| hold dear and sacred It is time, indeed,
that the thoughtful American citizen should
| take heed and see whence salvation may
come. The Republican party has it in its
power to avert the danger by espousing
openly the cause of temperance and the
supremacy of law. In no more effective
way can it prove to the country that the
truest and wisest patriotism is found within
its ranks and beneath the ngis of its
principles. May its leaders understand the
opportunity of the hour. l wish your
movement every success"
Judge Saylor of Indiana spoke in con-
sentative strain, and the Rev. DIR. Hatfield
then spoke for Illinois. He declared his
well-known opposition to the prohibition
party, and said he intended to be a Repub-
lican all his life. "If this convention, or
! the Republican party to commit hara-kiri it
would be the saddest thing that has
happened to us in twenty years. This will
not be a short fight. This is war for the
years and the generations. We may as
well address ourselves for this work for a
lifetime, take what we can get, hold fast
to it, and pull altogether for more. There
is such thing as losing what we are
running after by ovelrunning." The APP
plause at the conclusion OF his remarks
was general and continued
Edwin Lee Brown, the President of the
Chicago Citizens Association. spoke for five
minutes. He expressed surprise that Mayor
Harrison had not yet appeared to welcome
the delegates to the city, and he welcomed
them III Mayor Harrison's absence, feeling
sure that his friend, the Mayor, was kept
away by unavoidable business. Speeches
were made for Wisconsin, Kansas, and
Rhode Island, and Col. James of Chicago
then asked the indulgence of the conven-
ton. He asked what the Chicago Repub-
licans should do with their county ticket,
which contained two saloon-keepers. A
great many voices answered.: "Scratch
them!" He said that in Illinois the saloon
element controlled the Republican as we'll
as the Democratic party.
The platform, read by John 1. Plat OF
New York, was as follows:
The anti-saloon Republicans, by Their
representatives in national conference as
sembled, do declare as follows:
l. That the liquor traffic, as it exists to-
day in the United States, is the enemy OF
society, q fruitful source of corruption il
politics, the ally of anarchy, school Of
crime, and with its avowed purpose o.
seeking to corruptly control elections ant
legislation is menace to the public vel
fare, and deserves the condemnation of al
good men.
2. That we declare war against the
saloon and hold it to be the supreme duty
of government to adopt such measures as
shall restrict it and curtail its influence
and at the earliest possible moment ex.
tinguish it altogether.
3. That we believe the National Govern
ment should absolutely prohibit the manu-.
facture and sale Of Intoxicating liquors il
the District Of Columbia and in all the
Territories Of the United States.
4. We believe the best practical method
Of dealing with the liquor traffic in the
several States is to let the people decide
whether it shall be prohibited by the sub.
mission of constitutional amendments, and
until such amendments are adopted, by the
passage Of local option laws.
5. That inasmuch as the saloon business
creates special burden of taxation upo1
: the people, to support courts, jails ant
almshouses, therefore q large annual ia,
should be levied upon the saloons as Ions
as they continue 10 exist, and they should
vate injury resulting from the traffic.
6. That the Republican patty, wheneve
and wherever in power, should faithful.
enforce whatever ordinances, statutes, ani
constitutional amendments are enacted TO
the restriction or suppression Of the liquo
traffic.
} Z. That We approve Of the action of Con
gress, and of those States that have dom
SO, III providing for teaching the physio
logical effects of intoXicants i'll the publ
} schools, and We recommend to the Legis
latures of the States the enactment of s11cl
) laws as shall provide for the thorough
teaching of such effects to our children.
, s. We demand that the Republican party
to which we belong and whose welfare VI
, cherish, shall take firm and decided
stand, as the friend Of the home and tn
enemy of the saloon, in favor Of this polio
and these measures. We pledge ourselve
to do our utmost to cause the party to TAX
such stand, and we cali upon all temper
ance men and all friends Of humanity, o
whatsoever party or name. to join with II
in securing these objects and in support o
: the Republican party SO far as it shal
adopt them.
This declaration Of principles excited
warm debate, which WAS cut short only b,
J, the expiration of the time allowed for tn,
convention to occupy the theater. Genera
Conway offered an amendment to section 4
/ to insert the words land adoption: afte
the word Submission" He wished tn