Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-07-25
read as follows (taken from the Chicago

1I4OuutJ: 7..er.' .5.s,*tr
The first concern of all good govern
ment is the virtue and sobriety of the
people and the purity of the home.
(Cries of goodD The Republican party
cordially sympathizes with all wise and
| we'll directed efforts for the promotion OF
temperance and morality. loud ap.
plause, numbers of the delegates rising
to their feet, and cries of goodD
Nearly every state then seconded the
motion for suspension of the rules, and
amid great enthusiasm the plank was
adopted by rising vote, with only one
nay. In short, it was evident to every
dispassion ate person who witnessed the
scene that the Republican party had
crossed the Rubicon and burned all
bridges behind it.
The foregoing is a candid statement of
I the facts. At time it looked as though
all was lost, but courage and persever-
ence finally saved the party and the cause.
The liquor interest imperiously demanded
that the whole subject should be ignored
in the platform, and that mo temperance
man should be put on the ticket" even
objecting to Senator Allison, solely be-
cause he came from prohibition state.
The convention answered by nominating
the most pronounced temperance candi-
date in the field, by dlsapprovlng of the
one national law that gives aid and COM
fort to the whisky ring, and by almost
unanimously putting IN the platform a
plank unequivocally avowing the symp-
athy of the Republican party of the en-
tire nation with the temperance cause.
When to such action is added the fact
that within the last two years the Repub-
lican legislators of every Republican
state, excepting California, Nevada, ni
nois and Wisconsin, have angered the
dram selling fraternity by passing or at
tempting to pass laws against their inter-
ests, it is insensate folly to expect that
they will anywhere support the Republi-
can party. Some of them may pretend
to do so, but their promises will be worth
less, Dram sellers are not exceptions to
the universal rule that men seldom vote
against what they believe to be their own
interests.
Under these circumstances, is it not the
PLAIN duty of every earnest disinterested
friend of temperance to give the Repub-
lican party hearty support? It presents
to them life long enemy of the saloon
as a candidate, on moderate but unam-
biguous temperance platform, while the
Dem ocratic candidate is exactly the re-
verse, and stands on a platform denounc.
ing sumptuary laws. Ono of these two
platforms and candidates will be approx
ed by the nation next November, aud,
let him squirm and chop logic as he may.
the cold, clammy fact remains that the
temperance man who refuses to support
the Republican ticket, consents to Demo
cratic saloon rule; and, further, that if he
in any way undertakes to still further
weaken the Republican party, he be-
comes, while thus engaged, an active sa-
loon defender. he may try to quiet his
conscience by dreaming dreams, and con-
juring up visions of great things in the
future, but if he is honest, he must ad-
nit that he is, for the present time, help
ing the saloon to retain it's grip on the
country. Ask the dram sellers of the
United States, confdentially, how they
desire you to vote and nineteen-twen
tieths of them will say "for the Demo
cratic ticket" Ask further whether they
prefer to have you vote for Harrison or
Fiske, and they will answer promptly,
Fiske. They are not thinking about 1892
or 1896, but 1888. They propose to make
use of the present and work tor the fu.
ture afterwards, Are you really willing
to let them drag scores Of thousands OF
men, women and children to ruin now, in
the vague hope that you can drive twenty
times your number hereafter into disre-
garding their own convictions and obey
ing your commands?
Temperancn men of America, implore
you to put aside passion, prejudice and
party spirit while considering the matter.
And especially ask those Republicans
who, before the convention rectifled the
committees mistake, decided to join the
third party, not to let pride of opinion or
temper keep them where their influence
IN this contest must necessarily strength
en- the liquor power and make struggling
humanity more helpless. I was also
grieved and angry. (for I had been de-
ceived in some cases) but the sobs and
means of suffering multitudes ever plead
ing for help now, made it impossible to
long take counsel of wrath. Revenge
may be sweet, but it is sweeter still to lift
up the fallen, provided it is done before
they have been trampled to death. The
old friends you leave behind are as honest
and as hard-headed as you are. You can
! not be driven; neither can they. They
have as much human nature as you have
and are twenty times as numerous. Isl
best to approach them in the spirit Of the
slave driver or in the spirit Of Christ
Hoping that November next will find us
! all fichtinp the common enemy instead OF