Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-07-20
THREE VICTORIES.
Address of Chairman Griffin of the Anti
Saloon Republican National Com mittee.

are making so many misstatements about
the action of the late republican national
convention that it seems necessary to state
/ the real facts. The truth is that the anti
saloon cause suffered one defeat AM gaiu-
ed three victories.
The defeat was the refusal of the com
mittee on resolutions to put an anti-saloon
plank in the platform. This was first re-
garded as Waterloo, and if the contest
had ended there an overwhelming disaster
at the polls would have been inevitable.
The first victory was the adoption of a
plank committing the party against the
national whskey ring protection tax,
which plank was supported by every de-
| ded temperance man on the committee.
| Business men know that 1t Is the retail,
and not the wholesale, price of an article
that affects consumption. Remembering
then that the imposition of tax of So q
gallon on spirits did not cause the slight
est increase in the price of drink of
whiskey, that the reduction to SO cents
cents per gallon was not followed by
fall, nor the subsequent increase to 90
! GEMS by rise, 1t is evident that the tax
could not have operated as a restrcture.
Remembering, again, that the taxes paid
on liquor amount to about S70,00O,0O0 a
| year and that all the principal dstilerS,
eddy oppose repeating the tax, it is EVIL
dent that in some way, it benefits that
trade" for it is inconceivabe that the
men engaged in such a business would be
anxious to pay so much money for moth
ing. Discussion Is fast making temper.
ance men as solid against the national
| liquor tax, as liquor men are now in favor
of it. A State tax on saloons operates very
! differently from national tax on the
| liquor itself.
| Tue second victory was the nomination
of Gen. Harrison because of his record as
total abStalner and an avOwed anti-sa-
| loonist When the committee decided
not to report an anti-salo plank mum
Der of us went through the different
delegations urging those who realized
what a colossal blunder had been COM
mltted to supporG Gen. Harrison rs their
| second choice, on the ground that it had
| become necessity to nominate some one
| whose record would be u platform" So
large number agreed to this that when
concentration was finally attempted, he
was found to be the second choice of so
| many that it became necessary for the
managers to support him.
The third victory was the final adoption
| by the convention of temperance plank,
introduced by Congressman Boutelle of
| Maine. AS an attempt is being made to
create en- impression that l. is not part of
| the platform, and was not intended to
mean anything in particular, | quote Mr..
Boutelle's opening remarks, as reported
| by the Chicago Tribune, which is not
friendly to the anti-saloon cause
Mr.. President On behalf of a large num-
| Der OF the delegates of this convention 10y
| their REQ eest and in accordance with their
| wishes, desire to move a SUSPENSION of the
| rules ard adopt resolution TO be added TO
the republican platform. The republican
pa ty stands bstore the country for the pro-
! lection of American industry, and for the pro.
| lection of the purity OF the home. tAppauee.l
h tiara k,lt
stand by the iresides OF the American people:
| Applause The undation of this grand
organizat on of ours is be sobr'ety. the NOR
atty, and the virtue ui the common people.
lApplhus j The republican party sprang
| INTO existence as the champi of mora re-
form in the United States Of America ZAP
pause. 1t stands to-day, if it stands for any
Thin as the standard bearer OF every priu-
clple that tends to elevate our common hu-
munlty and Grad cate the evils which threaten
the BODY polite.
Several delegates excitedly opposed the
suspension OF the rules or even the reading
u the plank but the
! SENTIMENT OF THE CONVENTION.
was so strongly against them that. after
considerable confusion, it was read rs fol-
lows
The first concern of all good government is
the virtue and sobrlety of thu people and the
purity Ot the home RES of good The
republican parry cordially sympaI hizcs with
/ all Wise ana wei q loO tUOItS Tor the pro-
mo ION OF temperance and m ralty. loud
Applause, numOers of the delegates rising To
tn II feet, and cries of good.l
Nearly every State then seconded the
motion for Suspension of the rules, and
amid great enthusiasm the plank was
adopted by a rising vote with only one
nay. In snort 1t was evident TO evel dis
passionate person who witnessed the scene
that the republican party had crossed the
Rubicou and burned all bridges behind
! them.
| The foregoing is candid statement of
the facts. AT one timv it looked rs though
al was lost. but courage aud preseve
| hnally 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 mau
| should be put on the ticket" even object
ing to Senator Allison solely because ne
came from prohibition State. The con
| Yentlnn answered by nominating the
most pronounced temperance candidate in
the field, by disappearing of the one ma
| tional law that gives aid and comfort to
the whisky ring, aud by almost unaui-
mously pntting in the platform plank I'M
equlv4cally avowing lie sympathy of the
republican party OF the entire nation with
the temperance cause.
When to such action ia added the fact
that within the last two years the repub
lcau legislators of every republican
State, excepting California, Nevada, Hi
nos and Wisconsin,, have angered the
dram selling fraternity by passing or al
tempting to pass laws against their in
| teres,s, 1t is insensate folly to expect that
they will anywhere support the repuhli
can party. Some of them may pretend to
do so, but their promise will be worthless
Dram sellers are not exceptions to the uni
Vel sal rule that men seldom vote against
what they believe to be their own inter
ests.
Under these circumstances is 1t not the
paiu duty of every earnest disinterested
friend OF temperance to give the republ
can party a hearty support II preseu
to them a lifelong enemy of the saloon rs
| Candidate, on Il moderate, but unambigu-
Gus temperance platform, while the demo
cratic candidate is exactly the reverse, aud
stands on platform denouncing sumptu-
AIRY laws One OF these Two platforms and
candidates will be approved by the nation
next November and let him squirm and
Chop logic as he may, the cold, Cltmny
TACT remains that the temperance mau
who refuses TO support the republican
ticket consents TO the democr ttic
saloon rule; and, further that # he
in any way undertakes to still further