Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-10-15
THE WAR ON RUM,
The Anti Saloon Conference of Repub.
licans at Chicago-Stirring
Speeches.

A Platform, Almost Universally satisfac-
tory, Pronounoes for Ultimate
Prohibition.
The National Conference of Anti Saloon
Republicans in Chicago was an assembly
OF strong men from all sections of the
North. No one appeared from any South
ern State except Texas, nor from any Sec
lions Of the extreme west. Credentials
were presented for 1856 delegates, appor-
toned among the States as follows: Maine,
1; New Hampshire, 2; Vermont, 8; Massa-
chusetts IL; Rhode Island, Z; New York,
6; New Jersey, Z; Pennsylvania, /; Ohio,
1: Michigan 8; Minnesota, Is, Wisconsin,
II; Illinois, 40; Iowa, 20; Indiana, 18;
Kansas, 30; Texas, 2; Dakota, 1. The four
prohibition States, Maine, Rhode Island,
Iowa, and Kansas, sent fifty Eight dele
| gates. There were a number Of distin-
| guished men among the delegates. Sen
ator Blair came from New Hampshire, ex-
Senator Window from Minnesota, ex-
| Commissioner Hiram Price from Iowa, the
Rev. George H. Ball, and General T. w.
Conway, from New York. The majority of
the delegates were men of advanced years,
| and there was an unusual number of gray
| heads.
The convention was called to order by
Albert Griffin, of Kansas. The Rev. Ar
thur Little offered prayer. The nomina-
tons for temporary officers made by Mr..
Griffin were accepted, and were as fol-
lows:
Chairman-Senator Henry w. Blair, of
New Hampshire.
secretaries-J. C. schatfer, of Illinois,
and L. r. Elliott, of Kansas.
| Reading Secretary--E. r. Hutchins, of
Iowa.
| Senator Blair said he believed the con-
vention would be historic. It was called
to organize for the destruction of the rum
traffic. He said: Between free and low
licensed rum we are for low license; be-
tween low license and high license we ore
for high license; and between high license
and prohibition we are for prohibition"
He said he believed he would live to see
national prohibition.
Committees were appointed on creden-
tails, permanent organization, resolutions
and order of business. The house voted
to make Senator Blair q member Of the
|
sequently elected Chairman of that COM
mittee.
The Committee on Permanent Organiza-
ton recommended ex-senator William
Window, of Minnesota, for Permanent
Chairman. He was elected with cheers and
was escorted to the platform by danking
committee. Among the Vice Presidents
were Hiram Price, Chief Justice Horton of
Kansas, James Monroe of Ohio, Senator
Blair, and the Rev. Mr.. Ball.
Mr.. Window made speech of about
half an hour. He declared that the dele
gates had assembled as loyal Republicans,
believing that their party could carry out
the abolition Of the liquor traffic. He had
never entertained the thought Of organizing
new party for that purpose. The liquor
issue he believed to be as grave one as
was ever presented to political party.
any party what it shall do, but to indicate
the belief Of very large portion of the
party that the Republican party will do we'll
to accept the issue rendered to it by the
liquor power. We want to influence that
party to take at once the step it must take
ct no distant day on this subject" Mr..
Window spoke against the liquor traffic
from an economic and political aspect,
though he acknowledged. the moral issue
to be the highest. He was satisfied
that the liquor power had gone into
politics permanently, and had challenged
the country to meet it or submit to it. The
waste produced by saloons exceeded by far
any other waste OF destruction of value and
property. yearly at least sixty thousand
lives are sacrificed, and five hundred thou
sand drunkards are made" he said, in the
course of his remarks. Hundreds of mil
lions of dollars of taxes are entailed to
maintain criminal trials, jails, poorhouses,
and asylums. The liquor bills of the
country exceed the revenues of all the rail-
roads. This taxation falls generally upon
those least able to bear it. If the Govern
ment should levy tax of one-tenth the
amount there would be O revolution within
ninety days. The claim that the liquor
trade should not be destroyed because of
the capital invested in it is overcome by
the fact that if the Government would pay
81, 600, 100000 for all the property Of the
liquor trade, and then make bonfire of it
ali, the country would be richerat the end of
the year. We could better afford the cost of
the late rebellion every fifteen years, than
to suffer this liquor business to go on"
The saloon was denounced as the ally OF
anarchy, sedition and crime. 1T strikes al
the homes where the future nation is to be
reared" said the speaker. ut has corrupt
cd the ballot-box, and the saloon has be-
come the instrument for buying votes and
controlling elections. So for as know, nc
organization, until the saloon power organ
lied, has ever openly boosted that it has
controlled elections, and intended to con-
troll them, by the use OF money. Some
party must meet this issue upon political
grounds. The saloons have captured the
Democratic party, body and soul. In my
own State tho saloons have just nominated
for Governor the very incarnation Of the
saloon interest-a man in favor of wide
open saloons every day in the week. In all
large cities the saloon power governs. II
elects your Mayors and Councils. The sa-
looms control New York city, the city rules
the State, and that State often elects youl
President. There are 200, 900 saloon keep
ers, with mighty army of l,O0O,OOO adj
herents. They control more money than
the Confederacy. I believe that courage
is contagious us we'll as cowardice, and
that if the Republican party has the cour-
age to meet this issue there are enough
people to rally to our standard to carry ii
to victory"
Hiram Price was called upon for &
speech, and he occupied nearly an hour il
responding. He pronounced uncompro-
misingly for prohibition. No trimming Q,
! 1,,1f ticf1 IL