Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-01
Philadelphia Press.
THAT TEMPERANCE PLANK.
Its Worst Enemy, Apparently, is Gen
Clinton B. Fisk, ProhibitioniSt.
The Author of the Boutelle Resolution
CorTects Misstatements Made with
the Intention of Destroying Its
Effect
To the Editor Of the Press:

General Fisk spoke strongly and at some
length, receiving oFations of applause
throughout.
OF the alleged temperance plank in the
Republican platform he said:
II had friend interview Sheridan Shook
the other day. Sheridan Shook is one of the
cleyerest men on earth; one of the largest
brewers we have in the country and the pro-
prietor Of many saloons. | wanted to know
how he felt about the temperance plank in
the Republican platform-the little annex, as
ne called it. Well he said they brought
that thing to me before they read it to the
Convention, and put on my specs and looked
it over. Why said, that is all right; but
it is not quite strong enough, it seems to me.
Perhaps it is as strorg as this Convention will
bear, but we brewers wanted it little strong
er for temperance, and began to think we
we're good deal more moral than some of
those fellows. | always sympathize with
morality He characterized the amendment
as catnip tea. Why said he, 1T is like a
bottle of ginger-pop with the cork left out;
like cologne water spilled on the ground !;
like last years birds nest and so the old
gentleman went on until he had fifty chara;-
terzed the temperance plank of the Repub-
lican platform"
As this has been widely copied by Cen
eral Fisk's allies of the Democratic and
third party press it may be worth while for
me to say that the statement is absolutely
unqualifedly and inexcusably false. The
temperance resolution adopted by the Re-
publican National Convention was written BY
me while in my seat as delegate only a
few moments before it was presented, and
with the exception of a part of the first
clause, which / copied from one drawn by
another, no person but myself had ever seen
it or knew of its purport. The only person
took the platform to introduce it was Sena-
tor iloar, of Massachusetts, at whose sug-
gestion few appropriate words were inter-
polated after which it never left my hands
until it was adopted amid the greatest en-
thusiasm by the rising votes of more than
800 delegates, with but a single one dissent
ing.
DOES Nor Know Mr.. SHOOK.
The statement that the resolution was
shown to Mr.. Shook before it was read to
the convention is, therefore, utterly devoid
| of truth | do not know that | have ever
met him; was not aware that he owned
breweries or saloons, and certainly never
entertained the idea of submitting my reso-
luton to the judgement of any person identi-
fled with the liquor of interests.
While General Fisk as the candidate of
a movement proclaimed to be primarily in
tended to aid the Democrats in "killng the
Republican party" takes so much pains to
express his dissatisfaction because great
National convention declared its cordial
sympathy for temperance and moral reforms,
we fortunately have abundant and excellent
testimony of a more apprecative public sem
timent.
One of the foremost advocates of temper
| ance, Mrs. j. Ellen Foster of Iowa, who
was present, says:
at is cause for congratnlation among tenn
perance people that the late Republican
National Convention at Chicago put the ,par
ty on record on the side of temperance and
home The resolution was adopted amid
great enthusiasm, only one solitary delegate
voting against it..
Albert Griffin, president of the National
Anti-Saloon Association, declares that three
victories for temperance were won in the
Republican National Convention He saws
Victory number three was the final
adoption by the convention of the temper
auce plank introduced by Congressman Bou-
telle. Nearly every State finally seconded
! the motion for the suspension of the rules
and the plank was adopted, with only one
negative vote-almost unanimously putting
in the platform plank unequivocaly avow-
ing the sympathy of the Republican party
of the entire nation with the temperance
cause"
Rkv DIR. MAGoUNs OPINION.
Rev. George f. Magoun of Iowa College,
IA distinguished champion of poitico-moral
questions, writes
"Mr. Boutelle' resolution struck me as it
did you. was glad, too, that it was not in
the platform with common resolutions and
certain, therefore, to be deemed mere
platitude. 1t is n bigger plank for being
visible, distinct from the platform. The
unanimous vote was more unanimous, beg
ging pardon now of the English language,
for being taken by itself Many things get
a perfunctory unanmity from being pooled
with other things people are really unani-
nous about This got unanmity on its
own merit, which was not perfunctory"
Rev. Thomas A. Taylor, presiding elder
of the Champaign, ILL.,, District of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, saws:
alt will be gladly hailed by the great &C.
clesiasticsl bodies of our country, for it en-
bodies the spirit of their deliverance on this
subject. 1t is all that we can reasonably
ask and il is strong enough to let down as a
firm drawbridge over which many of our
alienated prohibitionist friends can come back
into the old stronghold. Be sure of the
earnest gratitude of thousands of us who are
contending for the purity of the home the
prosperity of the land and the victory of
Christian morals in the multiform life of
America
Ex-Governor Sidney Perham, of Maine, a
life long and noble leader in the temperance
cause, writes:
II write to thank you for the presentation
of the resolution relating to temperance at
Chicago, and especially to congratulate you
on the practically unanimous vote by which
it was carried through the convention.
While not all that temperance Republicans
would like, it is step in the right direction,
and long step for national convention to
take"
COMMENDED BY CLERcrMES.
As write my desk is covered with letters
of similar commentator from clergymen,
from Womens Christian Temperance Unions
and other prominent and earnest and expon-
ents of temperance sentiment in all parts of
the country. 1t was to them that the Repub-
lican temperance resolution was intended to
appeal
No man engaged in a good cause should
feel inclined to spurn the sympathy of great
organization, embracing large portion of
the intelligence, patriotism, and virtue of the
people.
Is not Gen. Fisk's spitefulness probably
due to realization that in his present en-
ployment as the ally of that arch-enemy of