Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-08-09
A PROHIBITION ADDRESS
Delivered by: Mrs Clara Hoffman ut Cit,
Hall square Last Evening.

Delivered by: MIA Clara Hoffman ut City
Han square Last Evening.
The Prohibition party opened the cam.
paign in this city last evening. at the City
Hall square, and it was certainly an an.
spicious opening. About Eve or six hun.
dred people, men nd women, assembled
on the north end Of the square, where q
temporary stand had been erected, and
seats were provided for the ladies. Mrs.
Clara Hoffman, of Missouri, was the speak.
er, and her eloquence held the audience
for over On hour and halt, during which
time she devoted herself to demonstrating
the power Of the liquor traffic in the poll.
Tics Of the country.
Aft,r prayer by Rev Is. E. Joner, Mrs.
Hoffman was introduced 10 the audi.
ence by Mr.. George E. Fuller in few
remarks. Mrs. Hoffman is fine looking
elderly lady Of intelligent appearance, and
her address proved that appearances in hel
case ara not deceittul. She possesses a
splendid voice and her remarks could he
distinctly heard for half square.
She opened with q glowing tribute Ia
the country as compared with all other
countries. She wanted to know why il
was called a government Of the people
when one half have never mad voice in il.
Political power inheres in the people, but
rs no political power inheres in woman she
guessed they are not people and she was at
loss TO say just what they are
She charged the peopis with not having
stood mp for American rights and iustitu-
tions, and cited as an instance the desecra-
tion of the Sabbath day. She charged
that the ballot-box has become corrupted,
degraded and debauched She termed the
saloon the great government school. and
charged the liquor traffic with having
control of American politics and possessing
more power than all the churches, schools
and colleges in the country, and she
claimed to be warranted in her assertions,
because they are facts.
she charged Congress with having for
the past eighteen years persistently re-
fused to appoint commission of inquiry
to investigate the liquor traffic, although
they had appointed commissions of in
quiry on everything else they were asked
with pleasure.
She charged that the National Brewers
Association had prevented legislation hos.
tile to its interests by the use of money
tha. Legislatures have been influenced in
the same manner. Shespoke of the courts
in very sarcastic manner. She spoke OF
them as being institutions where wit
snr
bribed and judges elected by the saloon
interests, and remarked that if Justice
were not blind goddess She would have
blushed herself 10 death long ago.
Labor chafes under the monopolies and
trusts formed against it, she said, espec-
tally under the monopoly Of the liquor
traffic, which became such through the
recognition and protection Of the govern.
ment 1t has been almost hundred years
since the first agitation OF temperance and
the traffic has never been affected whit,
because all the attention has been paid 10
the effect, and no attempt has been made
to get at the cause, and the way to get at it
is by means Of the ballot box.
Mrs. Hoffman then arrs1gned the Repub-
lican and Democratic parties. not for what
they have done, but for what they have
not done to assist the cause Of temperance
She said she was born black Republican,
but she is becoming rapidly bleachsd ont.
She remarked that even though the sec
nlar press had been sending Representa-
tives mp in Maine, a. one of the Wherlin ing
papers had done, to purchase liquor out Of
forty-two saloons, it proved Intellectual and
fruitless. Against all this attempt to
show the insffciepcy of prohibition We
have the evidence of respectable men,
such as Governor Lsrabee and others. Said
sbe:--
The temperance people attempted to &C.
cure some recognition in the platforms OF
both parties, but they had failed, and
they have concluded that no good can come
of the old parties, because thing cannot
be antagonized and cherished at the same
time.
Mrs Ho1man concluded with touching
appeal to the voters Of the country TO
come to the temperance side.
After an announcement by Mr.. Fuller,
the audience, all Of whom had paid the
closest attention to the entertaining ad-
dress, dispersed. Mrs. Hoffman is un.
doubtedly the best lady Temperance
orator ever heard In Wheeling.