Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-05-04
NEW CONVERTS.
Clergyman's Reasons for Espousinx tho
Prohibition Cause.

Prohibition Cause.
Rev. o. j. Squires, of Lansingburg, N.
Y. writes to the Voice:
For twenty years as q pastor l have felt
it my duty to preach and to press upon my
people universal temperance. After nine
years travelling and laboring in the State
of New York for the American Bible So.
ciety went in 1877 to Iowa as District
Superintendent for that State. I was in
that field eight years. and travelled $50 900
miles In my official work. became thor
oughly converted to legal and practicable
prohibition.
rejoice in the grand record Kansas and
Iowa have already made in prohibiting to
SO large an extent the drink curse. / re-
gard their success as marvellous. know
that prohibition does prohibit in those
States, and the secular press of the East
cannot convince me otherwise.
Two years ago last fall returned to the
eastern section of the country and have
travelled through the States and cities, and
read carefully the religious and secular
papers, and have studied this question
from oil sides, searching for light, and all
my old Republican party. Indeed, have
waited fifteen years for my national party
on this vital question to give me relief, but
none came. have waited as many years
for the Republican party of the State of
New York to take up decidedly and hon.
estly this question, but waited in vain.
When read the temperance plank in the
State platform last fall gave up the last
hope and took my leave Of the party, State
and National. not only believe that the
two old political parties viii noss effectively
assume and vigorously prosecute the legal
destruction of the rum power, but I also
believe that, at this late hour, they cannot
do it. They are too heavily loaded down
that large number of the rank and file of
the Republican party are right in their con-
victions, but they are helpless to reform
the party, because it is in the hands Of
corrupt politicians, of6ce-seekers, and men
in the rum business. AS to the Democratic
party, it is openly committed to the liquor
traffic.
Neither Of these parties was organized
for the temperance issue. much less for the
Prohibition issue, which is the vital ques-
ton of the hour. Their constituency is
too much and too antagonistic for this
moral conflict.
1now propose to vote as pray and pray
as vote.
Leaves the Union Labor Party.
Alta recent meeting of the Central Pro-
hibition Club Of Cincinnati. Rev. M. C.
Lockwood. pastor of the First Baptist
Church, was present by invitation, and in
. strong address declared that he would in
future act with the Prohibition party. DIR.
Lockwood was last year very active in the
Union Labor party, being one of it's most
popular speakers and most industrious Or
ganizers. He says he 10 convinced that
the prohibition of the liquor traffic is the
most important factor in the solution of
the labor problem.
An Eminent Convert in Chicago.
At convention Of the Prohibitionists of
Chicago for the election of delegates to
the State Convention some new converts
to the Prohibition party were reported,
chief among them being Rev. DR.. Henson,
the noted Baptist clergyman Of that city.
How High License Improves Things.
Atlanta has tried high license Isl ,OOO)
for four months. Prior to that it had
prohibition for two years. The Atlanta
Journal publishes some figures from the
police records that ought to be furnished
with wings and sent flying all over the
country.
Although the prohibitory law was passed
in July, 1885, the licenses failed to expire,
some of them, for year. From July,
1886, to December, 1887. was really the
only prohibition period. and this was mod
ified by the provisions of the law allowing
vine rooms But with this defect, and
with the disadvantages that always attend
the frapmentary prohibition obtained I'M
der local option, the results are seen by the