Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-10-12

| No man pretends, no man exp cted they would
there asking them to do or say anything excep s
one woman, and they said she was crazy. i
don't know whether they thought she was crazy
to ask them to do anything ON the temperance
question. or because Of the way she acted. That
she would go to a Democratic Convention
Gent evidence of her mental disturbance.
But the Republican National Convention
assembled at Chicago, end when that con-
ing trains from California, loaded down with
delegates and wine, and when they came to Sc
iect Chairman for that convention they So
lected man whose name possibly here
ever heard before certainly not distinguished
for being great statesman, man of remark
able ability, remarkable learning or remarkable
experience i'll presiding national convel,-
tions. What on earth was the secrst, the reason
why Mr.. Estee, OF California one of the largest
grapes-why he selected to preside over that
national convention? There Gun have been but
one reason; that ne might give assurance to the
liquor traffic of this nation that while he was
i'll the chair presiding over that body its inter-
est would not be jeopartlized. The platform and
the nominees are Endorsed by oil the Republican
liquor denlers OF Indianapolis They hang the
picture OF the Republican nominee in their win
| dows, md festoon it with flags and evergreens.
A., Then there was sheridan Shook, the most dis
tngushed representative of the liquor traffic il,
this nation with Il long list of others who were
IN that convention, in perfect harmony with all
is Robert q. Irgersoll, the notorious intidel the
man who wanted tho law against the circulation
OF obscene literature repealed, because it inter-
was in that convention, and he proclaims that
the platform is his IDEAL and the nominee the
very man that should have been selected.
In the platform they adopted is this language:
I'VE reaffir,n our unswerving devotion to the
personal rights and liberties of citizens in all
the States and Terri cries of the nation" They
selected carefully from the ofl-repeated creeds
of the liquor leagues of this nation these WE'LL
known and meaning words: -, Personal rights
and liberties OF the citizens" The selection Of
| this very language from the creeds of the liquor
league covers the whole field Of demand by that
organization. Then with liquor dealer in the
chair and the platform adopting the language of
the liquor interest, it is wonder that the
liquor men of the nation are perfectly satisfied.
But want to ask why is the Republican par
ty not Prohibition party? 1t has the highest
evidence of Republican expression and testi-
mony in the States where they have prohibi-
ton as rule. The common conscience of men
fayors prohibition. The truths of science favor
prohibition: It is the principle applied to all
fires go out in the furnaces and the smoke ceases
to ascend from the tues in every brewery. Pub
lie welfare demands it. 1t is the true system of
tian civilization. Why is the Republican purity
opposed to prohibition? There must be some
great influence What is it? The liquor traffic
prohibition. The liquor tratic lives and thriyes
and dies where they have prohibition There
must be q break somewhere between the liquor
traffic and Christian civilization. Has not the
Republican party taken the liquor trHtic's side
of that question? Didn't it do it ut Chicago by
using it's Language and utterly refusing to put
one word or one sentence into its platform re-
quired by the temperance element? How can
the party afford to take that side? some men
will say
There are some strange things in our history.
When reform was advancing just as clear as
the sun comes over the mountain- top when
every man in the land felt its motion he feels
| the same thing now, there stood squarely in the
path Gay OF that reform some of the greatest
statesmen this nation mas ever known. They
uttered their protest Against its advance Henry
Clay and Howell Cobb prepared and signed q
which was that the Missouri Compromise
| should stand, tho fugitive-slave law should
| not be repealed, and the agitation of the
slavery question should cease. Twenty-Five
| men representing each of the two old parties
signed that very written agreement, and then
they lulled themselves to rest with the belief
that that would cause the hearts of the people
| to be quieted and agitation would cease. But
| the great wheels Of Christian civilization adj
and rolled right the opnoson Of
der the wreck. Now,iI say to you If Daniel
Webster and Henry Clay and those men could
| not stop the advance of that great reform, what
can the poor, puny statesmen of this day do
with this reform that comes out of every neigh
borhood in all the land?
President on the Prohibition ticket, Gen. Fisk.
Gen. Fisk was good soldier. They say Gen.
Harrison was brave man; that is true Gen.
son was q distinguished soldier; General Fisk
was more Distinguished. They say Gen. Harri
son obtained high rank in the s army Cen
| Harrison had experience soldier General
| Fisk had more experience. They say Gen. Har-
| rison stood high i'll the army; Gen. Fisk stood
higher in the army of the nation. Gen. Fisk,
| during the war. when in command OF Nashville,
and the colored men were coming IN there by
tho thousands penniless, homeless, friendless.
ignorant, seeing the attitude of affairs it he
| who established school and began to teach
these people himself and provide for their in
versity that was named for him and stands
| there to-day and has sent out since it has been
established between 1000 and 5000, as I am in
formed, young colored men and women to teach
| and preach in the South. He was the friend of
| Abraham Lincoln, and when the Freednlans
Bureau was established he was placed in charge
| of it, If there is o colored man i'll this nation
| who is old enough to know, and who knows
enough of history to know who his'friends are, 1
| friend truer than Clinton b. Fisk. our nominee
for President. They will not ind auy dark spots
on him in this campaign He is willing to say
to the people of this nation, aIf l am elected
President there will be noneof Estee's wine on
the White House table," You will not find him
sitting smoking in the headquarters. You will
| window; you will not find any liquor-dealers
indorsing his nomination or the platform on
which he stands. You will not find him partici.
pating in any political convention presided
over by q lquor-dealer and the liquor
interest we'll represented on the delega-
tions. In him you will find a man will
ing to have and express views independent of
the liquor traffic, independent of party leader
| ship, and when the occasion requires indepen-
dent of party platforms. He can abandon q
political party when it loses all its independence.
| The young men of this nation who observe his
habits in life will have an example worthy their
imitation in every respect
/ hear men say, But your party is small; I
would join it if it were larger; when it gets
large enough to elect anybody or do anything
then will vote with you" Poor cowardly soul
We won't need you then. 1t is now that we
need men. If man has the instinct and cour-
age Of honest conviction he does not wait I'M
til the time comes for victory. 1t is when they
need him to win q victory that he PUSHES III.
i Some men say to me: you have no soldiers
in your organization; all the old boys are with
/ the Republican party You are badly mis-
Convention they called on the old soldiers to
1 stand up, and 100 of them stood up and We're
], counted. They marched out i'll a body down to
the depot to meet a delegation, and then we
stood in circle around Oliver Z. Morton
statue, and we took off our hats and spoke our
, kindly words. The old soldier in the Prohi-
, btion party is whore ne belongs; there
, is where he can find vent for his feelings and
place for his courage.
Whatever the Republican party and Republic
, can leaders have been, thy wrong now,
Whatever John A. Brooks and the ex-Confeder
ates who are in our party may have BEEN they
| are right now. 1t is the mon who are right now
, | with whom we unite. There is one thing that
, | must be settled. 1t is settled now to the mind
of any reasonable man that we must hnve d