Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-07-20
Gained Three Victories.
Address of Chairman Griffin of the
AntiSaIOOn Republican Ma
tiOnaI Committee.
In Which He Summarizes the Tenn
perance Work Of the Republican
Convention.
Minneapolis Tribune.

NOhNChbAOlAs
Minneapolis Tribune.
Albert Griffin, chairman Of the
anti-saloOn Republican national
committee, has issued an address
to the country in which he summar-
ICES the work OF the national Re-
publican convention on temperance
matters and appeals to the voters
to support the ticket nominated 10y
the convention. He gives his rea-
sons for this advice, which from the
position he holds will have weight
with those in sympathy with the
cause of temperance. Below is Mr..
Grlffin's address
Intense partisans and misinform.
ed men are making so many mis-.
statements about the action of the
late Republican national conven-
ton that it 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 resolutions to put an
anti.saloon plank in the platform.
This was at first regarded as Wa
terloo, and if the contest had end.
ed there an overwhelming disaster
at the polls would have been inev-
table.
The first victory was the adop-
tion of a plank committing the par.
ty against the national whisky ring
protection tax, which plank was
supported by every decided tenn
perance man on the committee
Business men know that it IS the
retail, and not the Wholesale, price
of an article that effects cOnsump-
ton. Remembering then that the
imposition of tax OF 81 a gallon
on spirits did not cause the slight
est increase in the price of a drink
of whisky, that the reduction to 80
cents per gallon was not followed
by a fall, nor the subsequent in
crease to 90 cents by q rise, it is
evident that the tax could not have
operated as a restricture. Remem-
bering, again, that the taxes paid
on liquor amount to about S7O,OOO,-
900 a year and that all the princi-
pal distlllers, brewers and whole
sale dealers determinedly oppose
repeating the tax, it is evident that
IN some way, it "benefts that
trade" for it is inconceivable that
the men engaged in such a business
would be anxious to pay so much
money for nothing. Discussion is
fast making temperance men as
solid against the national liquor
tax, as liquor men are now in favor
of it. A state tax on saloons oper-
ates very differently from a nation
al tax on thu liquor itself.
The second victory was the nom-
ination of Gen. Harrison because
of his record as a total abstainer
and an avowed anti.saloonlst.-
When the committee decided not
to report an anti-saloon plank a
number of us went through the diff
ferent delegations urging those
who realized what colossal blum.
der had been committed, to support
Gen. Harrison as their second
choice, on the ground that it had
become a necessity to nominate
some one "whose record would be
a platform" So large a number
agreed to this, that when a concen.
tration was finally attempted, he
was found to be the second choice
Of 80 many that it became necessa-
~ for the managers to support
him. Some Of them however, in
tended to give him but two or three
ballots and then 60 to Mr.. Sher-
man, but he was so much stronger
than they had supposed that they
could find no excuse for leaving
him. If the committee had report.
ed an anti.saloon plank the friends
of that canse would not have made
the desperate efforts tor him that
they did, and it is more than posi-
BILE that some one else would have
been nominated.
The third victory was the final
adoption by the convention OF tenn
perance plank. introduced by Con-
pressman Boutelle of Maine. As an
attempt is beng made to create an
impression that it is not part OF
the platform, and was not intended
to mean anything in particular, |
quote Mr.. Boutelle,s opening re-
marks, as reported by the Chicago
Tribune, which is not friendly to
the anti.saloon cause A:
Mr.. President On behalf of a
large number of the delegates OF
this convention, by their request
and in accordance with their wishes,
| desire to move a suspension Ofthe
rules and adopt a resolution to be
added to the Republican platform.
The Republican party stands be-
fore the country for the protection
of the ballot, for the protection OF
American industry, and for the
protection of the purity of the home
Applause. The altars OF Republi-
canism in this country stand by
tho firesides of the American peo'
pie. Applause. The foundation
OF this grand organization of ours
is the sObriety, the morality, and
| .bo ,,;rtua of the common DpODle,