Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-07
GEN. FISk'S ACCEPTANCE,
The Prohibition Candidates Assan the
 Two Old Parties.


 CHICAGO, Aug. 7-The Prohibition Ma tional Committee today made public the letters of acceptance of General Clinton B. FISK, Of New Jersey, and John A. Brooks, or Missouri, the candidates of that party Tor the offices of President and Vice Presl- dent of the United States, respectively. 4zsgS Alter accepting the nomination, Gen. FISK, among other things, says: Within few years the temperance re- form nas altogether changed front. In the great conflict which has been and is sIll4 Waglng, temperance forces DO longer lace human appetite and habit alone; they oppose Legislation, the purposes .of politi- Cal parties, the policy of State and nation. what law creates, law alone can kill. The creature of law, the saloon, the liquor tratf1c can die only at laws hand or the mana ot laws executors. Conceived in a various lniquity, born of sinful legislative Wedlock, the licensed saloon, the legalized liquor traffic, bastard child of q civiliza- tlon protesSlng purity and VlrIue, must be strangleu by the civilization which begot or that civilization must go forever branded with the scarlet letter of its own shame.
 No party which is made public adminis- trator by the enemies of temperance, or Wnlch owes the election of its candidates to saloon influences eau ever es stablish pro- hlbltlon as binding fact in government anywhere
 The National Democratic party in it's
 
 or the greatest foe to the Republic the nquor traffic That party having stead lastly Ill It's utterances at national convcn- tlons maintained its allegiance to the American saloon, it was no disappoint- ment to any one that at St. Louis in lSSS It reafirmed its old position on this, the among men.
 1t was with the greatest reluctance that accepted these conclusions and come to auLnlt the imperative need of a party while yet the party Of my old choice, the National Repub!lcan Party, maintained it's organiza- tlon' had followed with pride and patri- otlc love that party'S flag while above it Hoated the starry banner for which so many brave patriots fell l had seen that party establish as d fact iG govern ment one political reform dear to me from ooyhood-a boon to millions in bondage and glory to us. A long, long time 1 waited against conviction and the logic of political events, hopng that my old party would take up this old reform with changed front and new conditions and make 1t also the fact so many millions craved and for whct they pleaded before men and God. It cost me the sacrifice of cner1shed asSociatlons when, four years ago installed myself in the ranks of the prohlbitionlsts under the flag of prohibi- tlon bIeached snowy White by the tears of smltten women and children through gen. eratlonS Of sorrow uud want
 " The first concern of good government. y
 
 Ventlon at Chicago, lis the virtue and so- brlety Of the people and the purity of the home.H
 Revenue then is not governments chief concern, whether coming from internal taxation or from tariff on importations. and any source of revenue which dis counts "the virtue and Sobriety of the people" and begets impuYty in the home should be the first object assaulted by every party profcsslng to seek good government, while the revenue derived from such q source should be the first to be foresworn not alternately for the sake of protective tariff but positively for the sake of protection dearer and more vital thSsn 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 but not included in its platform, and finding in these words my own ideas Of governments "chief con- cern ' set forth, 1 search the long plat form through in vain to find condemnation or the saloon or hint of purpose to assail It, or any sign of moral consciousness that the saloon Is curse and it's income too unholy for the nation to share. If the "chief concern" that party does not de- serve the support of men who love good government and would see it maintained
 The Republican party knows to-day and Knew at Chicago in June that the public surplus, which in 1884 it declared danger ous and then proposed to reduce, comes about 9O per cent. of it, from Q source more dangerous than the surplus-the liquor traffic,