The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-07
PROHIBITION NOMINEES
Both Accept the Leadership of
the Third Party.
GEN. FISK ISSUES HIS LETTER,
And Severely Criticlses the Old Par.
ties-He Accepts with Reluctance
the Need Of n New. Party and
Sacrifices Great Deal.

CHICAGO, August G.-The letters Q
acceptance of the National Prohibition
party candidates for President and Vic
President are made public this after
noon. The letter OF General Clinton I
Fisk, candidate for President, is dated a
Seabright, N. j., July %. The openin
paragraph expresses u grateful sense Q
the honor conferred upon him by tn
indianapolis convention, aud formal,
accepts the nomination. It then pro
ceeds as follows:
"Within n few years the temperate,
reform has altogether changed front il
the great conflict which has been and il
yet waging. The temperance forces nj
longer face human appetite and habi
alone. They oppose legislation, law
the purpose OF political parties, thu
policy OF State and Nation. What law
creates law alone can kill. The crea
lures OF law, the saloon, the liquor
traffic, can die only ut laws hand, or al
the hands OF laws executor. Conceived
in avaricious iniqGity, born OF sinful
legislative wedlOck, the licensed saloon,
the legalized liquor traffic, bastard child
Of civilization protesting purity and
virtue, must be stranglGd by the civiltZa'
ton which begot it, or that civilization
must go for ever, branded with the scar
let letter OF its own shame. 1t is not
enough that We reform the individuals
we must reform the State, the policy OF
great commonwealth, OF whole
people. They must be remadc and put
in harmony with sound economical
principles, the true cooperation Of indus
trial effort, the essential condition OF
National prosperity and genuine broth
erhoOd OF man. So broad demand as
this can be met in but one way. 1t has
been well said, ga political reform can
become fact in government only
through n political party that admins
tiers government" A reform so vast us
this we advocate. The National Demo-
cratic party in its platform nttersno word
in condemnation OF the greatest foe to the
Republic, the liquor traliic. That party
has stood steadfastly in its utterances
at National Conventions, maintained
its allegiance to the American saloon.
1t was no disappointment to any
one that ut ST. Louis in 1855 itreatlirmed
its old position on this, the greatest
question now being gdebated among men.
It was with great reluctance that &C.
ccpted the reconsideration and came to
admit the imperative need OF new
party, while yet the party Of my choice,
the National Republican party, main
tained its original policy. 1t cost INC the
sacrifice OF cherished associations when
four years ago ! enrolled myself in the
ranks OF party PrOhibitionists under the
tIag OF Prohibition, bleached snowy
white by the tears OF women and chill
drcn through generations OF sorrow and
want.
"In Michigan, in Texas, in Tennessee
and Oregon, so-called non.partisan ct-
iorts to establish. prohibition have
failed, through partisan necessity, born
OF liquor elements in old party compo-
sition. In Iowa, Rhode Island and
Maine, the laws have been shamelessly
deied for like reason. The entire trend
OF things, these last four years, has
proven hopeless the broader range OF
Prohibition effect through non-partisan
means, and equally futile, us final con.
summation, the narrower methods OF
local option and high license, while
from the.Supremc Court itselfhas come,
with startling emphasis, q declaration
SO nationaliZing this reform that ii can
never be made OF local or State limita-
ton again,
"The first concern OF good govern
ment, said the recent National Republi-
can convention at Chicago, 'is the vir.
tue and sobricty OF the people and the
purity OF the home Revenue, then, is
not governments chief concern, whether
coming from internal taxation or tariff
on importations; and any source OF rev.
enue which discounts the virtue and
SObriety OF the people and begets inn
purity in the home should be the first
object assailed every by party protesting
to seek good government while the
revenue derived from such n source
should be the first to be forsworn
mot alternatively, for sake OF {,
Protective Tariff, but positively, for sake
OF protection dearer and more vital than
the tariff can ever yield. Had not left
the Republican party four years ago, !
should be compelled to leave it now,
when, after reading the words l have
quoted, from q resolution supplemental
to but not included in its platform, and
finding in these words my own idea OF
governments chief concern set forth, l
search the long platform through in vain
to find condemnation OF the saloon, or
hint OF purpose to assail it, or any sign
OF moral consciousness that the saloon is
curse, and its income too unholy for
the Nation to share.
'If the chief concern has no place in
party's platform, and n party has no
policy us to that chief concern, that
party does not deserve the support OF
men who love good government and
would see it maintained. The
Republican party's chief concern is fol
the purity OF the home and the virtue
and sobrietyof the people. The party
is not labor's true friend which would
bar the importation Of paupers from
abroad or close the tariff door Of compe.
tition to pauperize foreign industry, and
then by a liquor system, perpetuate the
manufacture OF paupers and criminals
in our own midst, with whom honest
labor must compete aud whom largely
honest labor must support"
The letter closes with review Of th'
principles OF Prohibition.
THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.
In his letter Mr.. Brooks says "Part,
issues are now neiole the people as for
mulated by the final authorities in sucl
cases-the three great National Conven
tions. Senators and Representative
may conclude that their party Conven
tions have made great blunders in thei
official utterances, and may seem h
modify the same by Congressional &C
ton, but the country will hold eacl
party to its platform. That the solution
proposed by the Prohibition party is tn
wisest OF the three, do not hesitate Il
i declare.
1--WE must avoid an ever increasing
} surplus in the Treasury, and all lunneces
sary taxation must be lifted from tn