Wichita eagle., 1886-10-07
MIR. CAMPBELL DECLINES.

MIR. CAMPBELL DECLINES.
To the County Contra, Committee Of sedswick
County. Kansas:
GENTLEMEN:-After due consideration,
| hereby decline to be a candidate 1or
county attorney on the Prohibition ticket.
Please accept my thanks for the honor
your convention conferred on 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 II
o'clock a. m. of the day it was held. did
not attend the convention. l was not a
candidate before the convention. l said to
committee who called on me after the
convention to notify me of my nomination,
and to ascertain if would accept the same,
that would take the same under advise
ment, but in my judgement the party had
made mistake, and that it would probably
result in electing the person least deslra-
BILE.
] am of the opinion that we must con-
tinue to look to the Republican party for
the success of constitutional prohibition. L
am disposed to try it little longer, at
least. am not opposed to prohibition;
our 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 organizing, and, If it see
fit, placing ticket in the field. Men eer-
tainly have this political right. AS un-
derstand them, they only propose to make
effectual what the Republican party has
undertaken, and what it continually pom
ises 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 trne that
what has been gained in the direction OF
temperance, has been very largely accom-
plished by the advocates OF temperance,
working through the Republican party.
Shall we desert her because she has not ac-
complished more?
Let us dig about her. and give her to
feel more than ever before, that the advo-
Gates of temperance and prohibition expect
great things of her. and if disappointed we
| L., in ahi
The Democracy have shown their hand
in this county in a manly way; no one need
be deceived as to their position on prohibi-
ton. No Prohibitionist can consistently
vote with this party now. Democracy
promises nothing but opposition to this
principle The Republican party reso-
lutes grandly, and if she will live up to her
resolutions and promises, she will make
prohibition as grandly successful as it is
possible for any Prohibition party to make
it. This the Republican party must do or
die. l believe she will eventually do it.
There is no middle ground on this question
politically Prohibition is spreading. 1t
/ VIII soon De q natlOIsl ISSUE. lc Iec
publican party dare not shirk it.
l don't believe she will Let the prohibi
ton party see to it that prohibition is made
q success by the officers whose duty it is to
enforce it, and that while the Republican
party declares in her conventions .in favor
Of prohibition, that she don't belle her
principles by electing to Office men whom
she don't expect will, nor intend shall er-
force the law. desire also to say that haC
your party organized early, and gone &c
work in systematic and earnest mannei
to canvas the county, should have beer
seriously inclined to have taken hanC
with you, not that | would have expected
to be elected, but that both Democrats anC
Republicans might learn to respect the de
mands of the prohibitions The absence o
this organized effort, is in my judgment,
worse than no effort at all
The foregoing reasons. added 10 the fac
that am comparative stranger in thi
county lead me to decline your nomination
Thanking you for the honor. | am will
respect. j. p. CAMPBELL