The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-31
PROCEEDINGS IN DETAIL.

|
Speeches and Preparations for Permanent
Organization.
At 1925 o'clock A. NJ. Chairman Diokie stepped
forward to the front of tho stage. and. rapping
vigorously on the table, said: LET the eouvsn-
ton come to order at once All delegates stand
ng In the aisles will please be seated" After
the hum OF the hundreds Of voices had In a
measure quieted he asked all the member of
the national committee and the several officers
Of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union
to come upon the stage. The members of the
committee were first to respond. They attracted
no attention, but when the ladies at the head of
were greeted with great applause. Some one
proposed three cheers for the w. G. 7.
U, and the audience. in responding. arose
to its feet When the echoes Of the cheering had
died away. Chairman d ickie said.he' would like to
call to the platform those veterans in the cause,
Judge Black and John Russell Both mon came
forward. and were heartily applaudsd. 81 want
to add to that list" said Mr.. Dickie, 'the names
OF the candidates in 1876. Green Clay Smith
and Gideon Stewart, If they are present.
Neither gentleman responded and the Chairman
thCa Ooi4Oo " ~ IA 4oOSs &NSoA
and DR.. Thompson. Both came forward ard oc-
cupied seats on the stage. amid great applause,
which eliminated by giving three vociferous
cheers for Dow. The enthusiasm Of the con-
vsntion was pitched q scale higher VIXEN the
chairman announced that he wanted to add to the
quartet already called to the stage ex-Gov.
John P. ST John. Of Kansas.
He occupied o seat with his State delegation
GA the door. aud when he arose to make his way
to the stage the delegates fairly went wild.
They arose to heir feet, threw hats and handker-
chiefs in the air, aud cheered Justify. When the
ehserine ceased some delegates got of that long
white whisksred joke, whats the matter with st.
Johnr and the convention responded, "Hs's oil
right" /
81 am told. " said the chairman. ''that Green
Clay Smith has arrived. Is it true~ A
dozen delegates authoritativsly announced
that Mr.. Smith would not be present, ana tho
convention seemed to be much disappointed
.1e Then, preliminsries having been dispensed
with, the chairman announced that the conven-
ton would be opened by the choir singing. THAT
stirring old song. America" The convsn-
ton rose during the singing. and the
delsgatssi@ in the center of the hall
kept time to the music with . big brass crank.
Subscribing the song . request for silence was
i followed by Sam Small. Of Georgia, leading In
prayer. He asked the Heavenly Father to bless
all the convention proposed to do. He trusted
the delegates came to the convention ia harmo-
ny With the divine purpose. he prayed Tor that
wisdom which cometh only from on high, and
that the thing 10 do might be shown already;
that ehid-like purposes might be INDUCED in
and that hearts might be freed from personal
ambdtisu; that harmony In this convention
might be prophetic Of the harmony that was to
exist 10 the temperance cause. He prayed Tor
relief from party animosities and from disturb
ing councils. In concluding he asked for . bless
ing on the convention, and the families therin
represented.
The chairman. after prayer. called attention
to what he considered . remarkable fact. that
the eight men who had been the nominees of
the Prohibition party for presidential Offices we're
still alive and in active life, while the sixteen
nominees Of the two old parties for the same
time were all dead but four. The announcement
caused an oversnthusiastic delegate from South
Carolina to start an applause. and the I'M
thoughtful irreverence created . great deal Of
laughter. As a fitting recognition Of the great
blessings which had been bestowed upon the
leaders Of the party. it was suggested that the
convention join in sineing Praise God, from
whom oil blessings flow" which was done.
Chairman Dickie said il was no purpose Of his
to make an address; however. he desired to say
that an interview with him in the Journal was
not authentic. About two thousand delegates,
with m any friends. had not come to this con-
vention without . cause and q purpose. They
were inspired by patriotic purposes; by no ami
mosities; guided only by tie convictions that
the exigencies Of the times demanded the sue
cess Of new principles in politics. They were
here TO further the movement that shall free
the country from the saloon and shall Danish
sectionalism from politics. They were here for
the purpose Of furthering the cause th al would dig
TIM OPavA in Uhfsh thu alA Ao~ftos ~~A %hA
bloody shirt would be buried. In, conclusion
Mr.. Dickie said that Rev. H. A. Delano, Of
Norwich, Conn.,. had been chosen temporary
chairman. The selection was ratified by the
convention, but before Mr.. Delauo presented
himself, Capt. Eli F. Ritter delivered An address
OF welcome on behalf of the Prohibitiouists Of
Indianapolis and Indiana. After some prelimi-
nary remarks he said:
This assemblage of men and women from the ex-
tremities Of the United States is not . matter of form
or pursuit of pleasure. The character Of this conysn-
ton Is not that of the people who are seeking . place
OF resort Hook into the faces Of men and women
from the extreme North and the extreme South.
There went out . cry from the national capital In
1850 against Sunday-school statesmen.
The effect OF that cry was to stihe the moral senti.
ment in both the old parties until they let the saloon
into politics, and left the temperance question out.
There would have been no temperance in politics to-
bition party. We have held Il Ike q burning light be-
fore the eonsciencss of the people. The liquor trah6e
is hard taskmaster. Il has compelled its victims to
history. IL viii not be long until the old parties will
be called on to defend license ON principle. and i'm
morality on moral principles, just as Daniel Webster
was driven TO defend the fugitive slave law; and
when he and bis party reached that point. there WAS
the grave yard Applause and l~aughtsr-1
The only political Organization in the land that
stands BY. our history and by the land of our fathers
Is the Prohibition party. Loud ~applause States
manship has almost gone to seed when . leader Of .
great political party declares as . plank for his plat
form that tobacco is . necessity tApplsussJ We
are told that the issues of this campaign are 70 be the
the North and men of the South. the war il over:
Loud and prolonged applause, delegates rising.
sacks in '65. the brave men quit fshsins. when the
armies disbanded they yearned for peace above ell
other questions. Let us have peace. You may have
bsen right then and wrong now; yes J, : native