The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-08-24
LISTEN TO REASON.

LISTEN 10 REASON.
An Open Letter Addressed to Practical
Temperance Men by Albert Grimm,
Chairman Of the Anti.Saloon Republican
National Committee.
Every body knows that either the
Republican or Democratic nominees
will be elected. and that therefore votes
cast for other candidates can not posi-
bly, affect the approaching election. It
is. of course, true that the man who
votes for Clinton Fisk or Belva Lock-
wood stands up to be counted. but it is
equally true that, in the vital matter of
deciding who is to rule over us, he
counts as a mere cipher in column of
ciphers. His actions say: II have no
interest in the result of this struggle.
Between Harrison and Cleveland
have no choice, and am entirely will
ing that the worst one shall succeed.
1 am aware it is possible l might pre-
vent this, but utterly refuse to make
the slightest effort in that direction"
And no fairly well informed and
honest supporter of Fisk or Lockwood
will pretend that this refusal is based
on a belief that there is from a temper
ance standpoint no difference between
the two tickets for General Harrison
is an active Christian and lifelong
total abstainer, and an outspoken op-
ponent of the liquor power, whose
nomination was opposed on the ground
that it would insure the hostility of
the entire saloon fraternity, while Mr..
Cleveland is-'Grover Cleveland"
Moreover, General Harrison is the
nominee of a party that has always
contained within its ranks a large ma
jority of the temperance men of the
country, and has been growing in
creasingly hostile to the saloon
every year, until now, after
defying the liquor league, by
heading its ticket with a pronounced
temperance man, and choosing for sec
ond place one who more than a year
ago publicly announced Il heartily
sympathize" with the anti-salOon Re-
publican movement, and has, In its
National platform committed itself I'M
reservedly in favor of ''dU wise and
well directed efforts for the promotion
of temperance" while Mr.. Cleveland
is the nominee of a party that has for
q generation been dominated by and
grows constantly more subservient to
the liquor power.
The character, convictions and
sympathies of the one hundred thou
sand Federal officers and employees, and
the influence they exert upon living po-
litical issues are largely affected by
and dependent upon 1.-The Administra-
ton" and this is especially the case
when the President and his party are
in substantial accord. There can,
therefore. be no doubt that, under ex-
listing circumstances, the election of
such q man as General Harrison would
be followed by a decided improvement
in the general attitude and tone of this
large and very influential class of men
upon the saloon question. Again. il
the Republican party finds that doing
right does not bring defeat" it will at
once become more aggressive in its
warfare against the saloon. But If, on
the contrary, the Democratic party
wins, because protested friends of tenn
persnce labored increasingly to dimin-
ish General HarrisOn's vote, instead OF
increasing it. then the saloon power
will b, strengthened and emboldened.
and its enemies viii be corresponding
ly weakened. discouraged and embit-
tered against each other. For it must
not be forgotten that the supporters of
Mr.. Fisk and Mrs. Lockwood are not
content with merely putting their own
votes in cipher columns, but strive to
induce others to do the same thing
and, knowingly and Intentionally, work
mainly among Republicans.
The foregoing propositions are 90
undeniably true that all halfway SEN
sible and honest third-party men
know admit that, if the Republican
and Democratic parties are to continue
in existence, the cause of temperance
will be promoted by Republican sue
cess. but they believe-or think they
believe-that the Republican party is
such q puny or decrepit thing that il
can easily be annihilated. and that the
quickest way to destroy the saloon is
to protect it until the Republican par
ty shall have been destroyed, and q
new one resurrected from its grave. l,
is the old, old story of men &c
hypnotized by party zeal that they are
oblivious to every thing except what
blinded or designing leaders authorize
or of the discouraged traveller who
leaves the beaten highway to follow q
will-o' -the-wisp he thinks is leading
him to shelter close at hand, but sud
denly finds himself plunged into Al
impossible m0rass.
To hear these zeal0ts talk in theil
hop-skip-and-jump fashion one would
think that the wiping 0st Of existence
of . party 6.000,0 900 asrong by on
about Q twentieth rs Large 10 mers
pastine for them, but proper state