Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-08-16
GENERAL FISKE'S LETTER.

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GENERAL FISKE'S LETTER.
SEABRIGHT N. j., July 25, 1888.
Hon John p. 81. John. Chairman:
MY DEAR SIR-With a grateful sense of the
honor conferred upon me by the Prohibition
party at it's late National convention and with
equal appreciat ion of the responsibilities in
yolved therein accept the nomination which
I did not seek, ana which earnestly desired
should pass me by, and with Gods help will
bear our standard of prohibition as best can
through this presidential campaign. And thus
formally responding to the formal notification
received at your hands, it is fit and proper that
add some fur her words.
Within few years the temperance reform
has altogether changed front. In the great con-
fiict which has been, and is yet waging, temper
ance forces no longer face human appetite aud
habit alone: they oppose legislation, law, the pur-
pose of political parties the policy OF State and
Nation. What law creates, law alone can kill.
The creature of law-the saloon, the liquor traffic
can die only at the laws hand, or the hand
OF laws executed. Conceived in avaricious
iniquity, born OF sinful 1egislative wedlock, the
licensed saloon, the legalzed liquor traffic,
bastard child of a civilization protesting purity
and virtue, must be strangled by the civiliza-
tion which begot it, or that civilization must
go forever branded with the scarlet letter of its
own shame.
It is not enough that we refor m the individu-
al; we m ust reform the State. The policy of
great commonwealth, of whole people, must
be remade and put in harmony with sound,
economic principles, the true cooperation OF
industrial effort, the essential condition of Ma
tional prosperity and genuine brotherhood of
man
So broad demand as this can be met in but
one way. It has been said: "a political
form can become fact in government only
through political party that administers gov
eminent" reform so vast as this we advo-
cate, involving such radical changes in State
and National policy, is utterly dependent, for
its agitation and contamination, upon some
party agent or force. To give it success, to
make it indeed and indisputably fact that
party force or agent must be in full accord with
the reform and must have in itself the power
of successful achievement apart from those
elements and influences alien to the reform.
No party which is made public administrator
by the enemies OF temperance, or which owes
the election Of its candidate to saloon inf1u-
ences can ever establish prohibition as o bind
ing fact in government anywhere. The
National Democratic party in its platform
utters no word in condemnation of the greatest
foe to the Republic the liquor traffic. That
party having steadfastly in its utterance at
National conventions maintained its allegiance
to the American saloons, 1t was no diSap-
pointment to any one that at ST. Louis in 1888,
it reaffirmed its old position on this the great
est question now being debated among men.
It was with great relu ctance that accepted
these conclusions and come to admit the i'm
perative need OF q new party, while yet the
party of my old choice, the National Republic
party, maintained its organization. had
followed with pride and patriotic love that
party's flag while above it foated the starry
banner for which SO many brave patriots fell.
had seen that party established in fact, in
government, one political reform dear to me
IL 11rrr,
and a glory to us all. A long, long time
waited. against conviction and the logic Of
political events hoping that my old party
would take this old reform with changed front
and new conditions, and make it also the fact
so many >millons craved and for which they
pleaded before men and God. 1t cost me the
sacrifice of cherished associations. when four
years ago enrolled myself to the ranks OF
party Prohibitionists under the flag of prohibit
ton. b1eached snowy white by the tears of
smitten women and children through genera
tions of sorrow and want. have seen NO
hour of regret Every day since then has
shown yet more clearly the logic of my course.
and the inevitable truth of my conclusions. In
Michigan, in Texas, in Tennessee and Oregon,
so-called non-partiSan efforts to establish pro-
hibition have failed through partisan necessity,
born of liquor elements in old party compost
ton. In Iowa, Rhode Island and Maine the
laws have been shamelessly defied for like
reason. The entire thread of things these last
four years has proven hopeless; the broader
range of prohibition effected through nonpar-
tisan means, and equally futile, final con-
summation, the narrower methods OF local OPP
ton and high license: while from the Supreme
Court itself has come, with startling emphasis,
declaration SO Matchmaking this reform that
it can never be made of local or State lfmita-
ton again. No lines of territorial wish or will
can hereafter bar the liquor traffic and its fear
full brood while by National policy that traffic
Is recognized legitimate, and while under
that policy the National Government derives
revenue therefrom.
1.-THE trst concern OF good government said
the recent National Republican convention at
Chicago, SIS the virtue and sobriety of the peo-
pie and the purity of the home" Revenue,
then, is not Governments chief concern, wheth-
er coming from internal taxation or from a
tariff on importations; and any source OF rev.
enue which discounts the virtue and sobriety
of the people, and begets lmpurity in the home,
should be the first object assailed by every
party PROCESSING to seek good government,
while the revenue derived from special sources
should be the first to be fcresworn-not alter
natvely, for the sake of a protective tariff but
positively for the sake OF protection dearer and
more vital than the tariff can ever yield.
Had not left the Republican party four years
ago. should be compelled to leave 1t now,
when, after reading the words have quoted,
from a resolution supplemental to bat not it-
Guided in its platform. and find in these words
Germ set forth, I search the long platform
through in vain TO find condemnation OF the sa-
loon, or hint Of purpose to ass;il IL, or any sign
of moral consciousness that the saloon is
curse and its Income too unhoIy for the Nation
to share II this is it's ''chief concern that
party does not deserve the support of men who
love good government and would see it main
tanned.
The Republican party knows to-day and
knew at Chicago in June, that the public sur
plus, which, in 1891 it declared dangerous and
then proposed to reduce, comes aI>ou. ninety
per cent. of it from source more dangerous
than the surplus-the liquor traffac. When the
greatest Repu blcan statesman declared, in
1883, that it is better to tax whisky than farms
aud homesteads and Shops he knew ne and
his colleagues now know, that TO tax whisky Is
TO tax farms and homssteads and shops-since
1t is always these which pay the tax-that nine
tenths of the surplus represents want In the
home, impurlty in the home life, crime on the
street, paralysis in the shop and an impaired
demand for the products OF the farm. These
men must know these things, for these things
ere plain as the multiplication table. And
they must realize that .ha swift way to rednco
the surplus Is to end the National policy O
revenue from liquor; that the right way 10 10
end 1t by declaring the manufacture, imports
ton transportation and sale thereof pubic
crimes against good government. ana oy pro-
hiniting and Furnishing them rs such.
The Prohibition partys schief concern Is
for the purity OF the homo and tho virtue ano
briefly or the people. Il assorted this IN
and it further plainly said that the burdens Of
taxation should be removed from food cloth