Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-07-25
GAINED THREE VICTORIES.
Address Of Chairman Griffin of the
Anti-Saloon Republican Ma
tional Committee.
In Which He Summarizes the Tenn.
perance Work of the Repub-
lican Convention.

k>SASO4A~O ~S view @V~8~~
lioan Convention.
| Albert Griffin, Chairman of the Anti
Saloon Republican National Committee,
has issued an address to the country, in
which he summarizes the work Of the ma
tional Republican convention on temper
snce matters, and appeals to the voters
to support the ticket nominated by the
convention. He gives his reasons for
this advice. which from the position he
holds, will have weight with those in
sympathy with the cause of temperance.
Below is MIR. G-lffln's address:
Intense partisans and misinformed men
are making so many misstatements about
the action of the late Republican national
convention, that 1t seems necessary to
state the real facts. The truth is that the
anti-saloon cause suffered one defeat and
gained three victories. The defeat was
the refusal of the committee on resolu-
tions to put an anti-saloon plank in the
platform. This was at first regarded as
a Waterloo, and if the contest had ended
there an overwhelming disaster at the
polls would have been inevitable. The
first victory was the adoption of plank
committing the party against the rational
whisky ring protection tax, which plank
was supported by every decided temper
ance man on the committee. Business
men know that it is the retail, and not
the wholesale, price of an article that
affects consumption. Remembering then
that the imposition of tax of two dol
lars gallon on spirits did not cause the
slightest increase in the price of drink
of whisky, that the reduction to fifty
cents per gallon was not followed by a
fall, nor the subsequent increase to ninety
cents by a rise, it is evident that the tax
could not have operated as a restricture.
Remembering, again, that the taxes paid
on liquor amount to about $50, 900. 900
year. and that all the principal distillers,
brewers and wholesale dealers determin-
ed]y oppose repeating the tax, it is evi-
dent that, in some way, it benefits
trade" for ii is inconceivable that the
men engaged in such business would
be anxious to pay so much money for
nothing. Discussion is fast making tenn
perance men as solid against the national
liquor tax as liquor men are now in favor
of it. A state tax on saloons operates
very differently from national tax on
the liquor itself.
The second victory was the nomination
of General Harrison because of his record
as total abstainer, and an avowed anti
saloonist. When the committee decided
not to report an anti-saloon plank num-
Der of US went through the different dele
cations urging those who realized what
colossal blunder had been committed, to
support General Harrison as their second
choice, on the ground that it had become
necessity to nominate some one ''whose
record would be platform" So large q
number agreed to this that, when con-
centration was finally attempted. he was
found to be the second choice of so many
that it became necessary for the managers
to support him. Some of them, however,
intended to give him but two or three
ballots and then 60 to Mr.. Sherman, but
he was so much stronger than they had
supposed that they could find no excuse
for leaving him. If the committee had
reported an anti saloon plank the friends
of that cause would not have made the
desperate efforts for him that they did,
and 1t is more than possible that some
one else would have been nominated.
The third victory was the final adop-
ton by the convention of a temperance
plank, introduced by Congressman Bou-
telle of Maine. As an attempt is being
made to create an impression that it is
not part of the platform, and was not in
tended to mean anything in particular, l
quote Mr.. Bouselles opening remarks. as
reported by the Chicago Tribune, which
is not friendly to the anti-saloon cause:
! Mr.. President:-On behalf of large
number of the delegates of this conven-
tion, by their request, and in accordance
| WILL tuCAA WAoAC51 uC5AC W nAOVO tAO
suspension of the rules, and adopt reso
luton to be added to the Republican
platform. The Republican party stands
before the country for the protection of
the ballot, for the protection of Ameri-
can industry, and for the protection of
the purity Of the home. Applause
The affairs of Republicanism in this coun-
try stand by the fresides Of the American
people. Applause. The foundation of
this grand organization Of ours is the So
briefly, the morality, and the virtue of the
common people. [Applause. The Re-
publican party sprang into existence as
the champion of moral reform in the
United States of America: [Applause. ]
It stands to-day, if 1t stands for anything
as the standard bearer of every principle
that tends to elevate our common hum
anity and eradicate the evils which
threaten the body polite. -
Several delegates excitedly opposed the
suspension of the rules or even the read
ing of the plank, but the sentiment Of the
convention was SO strong against them