Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-06
THE PROHIBITIONISTS.
DIR. Mcdonald and J. n. Blanch.
ard Define Their Position.

THE PROHIBITIONISTS.
DIR. Mcdonald and }. n. Blanch.
ard Define Their Position.
At the Prohibition rally Saturday
evening, at the First Congregational
Church, Miss e. Hartman, of Topeka,
J. Fl. Blanchard, of this city, and DR..
r. 81. Mcdonald, of San Francisco, were
the speakers. Rev. A. ]. Wells was
billed to speak. but excused himself on
account of the length of the programme.
The meeting was opened with prayer
by the pastor, after which ]. H. Blanch.
was introduced. He spoke as follows:
We have discussed the temperance ques-
| tion up and down this land from a moral
standpoint, but tonight propose to discuss
It IRON roma pc htical standpoint One great
public mind is not ready for it. But the
| truth Is. that the majority OF the voters of
this country do favor and are ready for this
work. In 1880 Kansas Prohibition majority
was 5000; In 1882 Iowa's was 2S,OO0; la 1884
Names $4,000. Three-quarters of all the
votes cast in Rhode Island were for pro-
| hibitlon, and in Ohio our cause was only
cheated Of its victory by the two dominant
In all States where local option ia strong.
traffic.
The. liquor power will not allow this
question to go before the people, and, in
many cases, liquor men have bribed the
Legislatures, contrary to their promises. to
keepthis question from the people. Public
sentiment g Is ready; al that Is necessary
is organization OF those who believe
In and are willing to light for this cause.
we nave been trying to regulate the
liquor traffic for twenty-four years. and the
number OF gallons manufactured has in
eressea CT rs curing that time from 81 600 gallons
1t can not be regulated; 1t is growing and
can only be rooted out by prohibition. The
regulation plan has been tried in our midst:
there are 200 saloons here to-day, many not
paying license, some selling crackers and
giving away beer.
over 1000 more arrests were made in this
city during the last year than in the year
previous. Our jails are full of young men
liquor traffic is good, let It be free; If it is
wrong, why protect It?
The time has come for us to shake off
party ties. Fifty thousand are yearly being
curse.
1t is worse than Southern slavery. The |
poor, bonded black had a promise OF O hap |
py home hereafter, but "No drundard shall |
III.
reformation and abolition were based upon |
the principle of liberty so is prohibition. |
1t is the greatest question before the Amer
lean people to day. So, on every possible |
occasion, let us go before the public with |
our issue. We may not conquer first or sec |
ond but in the end success will crown our
efforts
DIR. Mcdonald, the celebrated Prohi.
bition agitator of San Francisco, then
delivered the following address:
lam always ready and willing to saw and
do all in my power in the interest OF this |
great cause. In 1870 the United States sta
t1stics showed that the people were then |
drinking 81 gallons Of spirituous liquors
were drinking 121a gallons per capita for
every man, woman and child. Friends,
Is II not g serious question? Where |
are we drifting? What must be the result? |
To me this is fearful Your city election Is
of more Importance to you than the State
election, because it concerns your homes.
On election day, go to the best men In your
city and ask them to 60 to the polls and /
As it is considered necessary for a child to
have the measles, so Is high license consid-
cred necessity by nearly every State. 1t |
has proved to be cheat and a fraud. 1t is
a benefit only to the liquor man. There is
not one glass of liquor less sold under high
than low license. In San Francisco there
are two parties that can afford nigh license.
The Ti first is the aristocratic, gilded saloon.
There you find the prominent officials
lead young men to ruin, then when their
money is gone and they are kicked out, and |
not till then do they resort to the low, cheap
rum-shops: The second class are the fancy |
saloons, with their gaily dressed waiting |
girls and degrading songs. These two, the
artistic bar-keeper and the debauched pro-
Prietor of the den. can afford high license.
1n,e These sa are the mills. You cry shut up he
saloons will cease to exist The license
question is corrupt with the devil and hell |
itself. Every man who votes for liquor is a
partner in the business and gets blood
the liquor business has us by the throat.
There is a population of 10000
and 4500 saloons. Tho vote of our CITY is
81, GOO, and of that number tho foreigners
e'eyen tickets were in the field, and the
American party drew from our vote more
largely than any other. Had it not peeo
for them our vote would have been 1o,00)
1884, the Prohibition vote increased from
q, 600 to $1,000. Go with me, any Sunday
night in San Francisco, and will show you
dives where $1,000 of our young men and
boys are educated in the schools of infamy.
The Republican party has done noble
work, hut its work is completed, and the
best thing it can do now is to die. The
Democratic party will hold the train on the
bTuGA u SIOTL tlu1e lOuB6r, While Oucle SdHl
is fixing up something better Now Uncle
sam is rigging ups new train, and it will
soon be in working order, and that train
will be Prohibition.
Let us on to victory; ask no questions and
give none, and hoist the black flag. Our
cause Is just and God will reward us.
Miss Hartman was the last speaker
She said that the first seeds of slavery
and intemperance were brought over in
the Mayfower. That seed has grown
till it now goes into houses, caucu SOS,
and even into the Legislature. 1t elects
or defeats men at its pleasure. 1t de.
feated Senator Window, of Minnesota,
because he dared to raise his voice
against the traffic. In Omaha, with
Sl000.license, there are twenty one more
saloons than with low license. Chicago
has three hundred more saloons now
since the high license ordinance went
into effect, and the Mayor
and nine Councilmen are saloon
owners. High license is of no use.
Something else must be done. When
there were no saloons in Topeka, sealed
pack ,ges were sent from Kansas City
labeled "to the Kansas sufferers" The
only difference in the attitude of the
dominant parties toward us is that the
Democratic party met us with gun de-
manding money or life, while the Re-
publican party greets US with one hand
and picks our pockets with the other.
If you cling to the old parties our cause
is lost. We must make this the great
political issue of the day and work faith.
fully, and success awaits us.