The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1888-07-18
THE CAMPAIGN OPENED
TIE FIRST GUN" LOADED WITH
BIAsPHEMY, LIES AND SLANCER.

Shook and Cox Curses God and Dies.
The national Republican convention adj
iourned after declaring for personal
liberty and free whisky and expressing
cordial sympathy for wise and well
directed efforts for temperance and mo-
rality"
The keynote of the campaign was set in
the ratification meeting held in the Metro
politan opera house, New York, the week
following the adjournment. Horr, of
Michigan, who called the previous question
IN order to shut off all debate or amend
rnents to the platform, and Ingersol, the
nfdel, werethe chief speakers. Chauncey
NJ Depew was not present. but other
eminent testers of the party were, and the
fun was tremendous for several hours.
The first outbreak was when the chairman
arose to call the meeting to order. We
quote from The Herald account descrip-s
ton of the funny scene which ensued:
Edward T Bartlett, the president of
the Republican club, arose from the velvet
cushions among which he had been reclin-
ing beside Col. Ingersoll
The Bible tells US that
As the audience caught sight Of Inger
soil laughing face it roared with merri
ment.
The Bible tells us"-
Col Ingersoll nearly fell off his seat as
a CONFUSION of humor seized him, and
the speaker was drowned in the ocean of
laughter that swept over the wide audi
forum.
Give us factsl" cried some one, and
wells of Give us facts" rent the air while
the great infdel nodded his head vigor-
ously
This performance appears to have set
the key for the humor of the evening, and
it was closely adhered to by both speakers
and audience.
The tIst speakers Were afrail 10 touch
the Prohibition question, but intidel In
gersoll went at it in the following style.
The colonel addressed himself to the in
ternal revenue question. and spoke of
whisky. Il don't care what people drink
but what they think, said he; Il know
some Democrats of whom | can say that
is the only thing bad about them. =, I know
Republicans of whom that is the only
good | can say. Let's be fair on this Pro
hibition question too Mere liquor does
not make drunkenness. You can never
make great men and women by freeing
them from temptation. Temperance goes
hand in hand with liberty. You might
as well tie a mans hands and praise him
for not picking pockets. believe that If
the Mississippi ran whisky, If its banks
were sugar, its fats grew mint, and the
bushes bore teaspoons and tumblers, there
would not be any more drinking than
than there is now. Let the burden of
government rest lightly on the shoulders
Of the people"
After considering the free school plank,
the ship building splinter, and the pen
sion timber in the platform, he said:
What next in the platform? It is the
protection of American homes. believe
that the family is the unit of good gov
ernment. want to see the aegis Of the
Union over happy homes ALI else is of
little use unless you have some place that
is made ,acred by the love of others. l
am for the ticket. did not favor it at
first. But will do as much as anybody
to elect it. Those men are standing on
the best platform that was ever adopted
by the Republican party. want to tell
you one more thing, and that is, they will
be elected next November"
And this is all that was said ia the first
great meeting of the campaign in regard
to the virtue and sobriety Of the people
and the purity of their homes" which,
says the Republican resolution, lis the
FIRST concern of good government.
And what say others? Well, Albert
Griffin and Judas Ellen Foster grewsomely
shake their heads and say: We're tired,
sick and sore, but we mast support the
ticket
DR.. Lorrimer, of Chicago, who attended
the anti-saloon conference during the sit
ting of the Republican convention, says
Good help me, I'll vote for Fish"
Mr.. Schauf1er, superintendent OF the
New York city mission, writes to The
POST
Whom the gods would destroy, they
first make mad" The Republican party
seems about to prove the truth OF this
proverb. For while they are in sore need
Of votes, they take such stand on the
whisky question that they drive away
many who would otherwise vote their
ticket Then, to cap the climax, they put
at the front of the ratification meeting IN
this city the most blatant inidel In the
land, and he declares boldly in favor OF
Tree whisky rather than free trade II
the party wants the votes Of that large
section of voters that forms our evangelical
church membership, the less it has to DO
with the man whose portrait adorns every
rum shop in town, with the words 'Our
Bob" inscribed on it, the better lie may
be ''Our Bob to tlat class of men, and
may on that account call out their votes,
but he is an offens, to many thousands OF
honest and God fearing men in the land.
"My party committed suicide when it
openly declared for untaxed whisky,
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