Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-05-11
Politics OF the Nation.

NEW YORK, May 2.-The second
anti-saIoon Republican National Con-
ference began it's sessions today al
the Cooper Union. There was pres
ent about $50 delegates during the
morning session, and in the afternoon
the number amounted to about l25.
According to the official list there
were delegates present from Alabama,
Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware.
Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas,
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Minnesota, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee,
Vermont and New York. Delegates
from some other states are expected
to be present tomorrow.
At 1O O'Clock Albert Griffin. of Kan
sas, called the meeting to order, and
Rev. Henry s. Deforrest. president
of the Talladega College, Talladega,
opened the convention with prayer.
Mr.. Griffin, in outlining the business
of the Convention, spoke OF the evil
of the saloon and the necessity of
curbing its power and said that the
only army that could overthrow it
was the Republican party. Seventy
Eve per cent of the Republican party,
be said were opposed to the saloon,
and Is per cent of the remainder were
Indifferent. He did not think that
there was more than half of per
cent of the Republican psrty iu favor
of the saloon, and he thought they
would be eliminated at the next Ma
tional Convention, and tie sooner
they left the party the better. Ap-
plause. The other 81 per cent could
be saved to the party if they were
not driven out by the proposition of
too radical measures. He then read
circular which he had sent out to
prominent Republicans. inviting them
10 be present, and to this he had re-
ceived many replies, sympathizing
with the object of the Convention
and giving reasons for not being able
to attend. He read few of the re-
plies received. Senator Sherman
wrote:
II will not be able to attend on &C.
count of official duties. 1 certainly
would support all reasonable meas
ures tending to restrain the evils that
confessedly flow from the sale of liq-
uors in the saloon. The proper rem
edy for these evils depends so much
upon the status of public opinion in
the community in which the law is to
operate that no rule or even regula.
tion can be enforced in all places a.
like"
Senator Evarts wrote: 81 hope
your expectations of an influential
meeting will be realized and that
your efforts for the beE it of the Re-
publican party in it's enlistment
against saloon politics will triumph" !"
Mr.. Griffin said also that Chauncey
M. Depew had promised to send
letter, but none had been received.
He then named as the temporary
chairman General Thomas G. Nor
gan, RnOde lSlanu.
General Morgan said the object of
the the Convention was to bring an
influence to bear upon the National
Convention which shall induce it TO
speak out with no uncertain sound
upon this temperance question. AL
luding to speech of Mr.. Lamar before
CJun he unotad from il tho eYDroSs
ion that the Republic is opportuni-
ty" He (the speaker) said he would
say rather "the Republic is duty"
and this was applicable to the party
as well as to the individual, and to
the party the Republic was duty
rather than opportunity. Other
speeches were made by General Stew
art L. Woodford and General Nettle-
ton af Minno0ta