Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-16
FREE WHISKY.
A PRoHIBITIoNIsT PREFERS 1T TO
HIGH LICENSE.
Vice-Presidentiai Candidate Brooks Talks
About Politics, Prohibition and
Some Other Things.

by Hon. John A. Brooks of Missouri, who
was the candidate of the Prohibition party
in the last national campaign for the Vice.
Presidency. In lieu of a platform, the
speaker addressed the assemblage from the
hurricane deck of an express wagon, which
was decorated with the national coIors.
He was introduced by C. q. Dunn, and
was received with some applause.
Mr.. Brooks opened his speech with some
alleged awful things said of him during
the campaign by the Republican press,
which, he said, had charged him with hay
ing been rebel soldier and a thorough
secessionist, all of which he had denied
then, and denied now Not wishing to
show any prejudice against the two chief
political parties, he next scored the Demo-
Gratis for what they had said against him.
He had not been such creature as both
Republicans and Democrats had painted
him, by any means. He had never eaten
any Republicans or Democrats, he said, for
ne made it rule not to allow any COM
mon or unclean thing to enter his mouth.
Ihls far-fetched pun ELECTED some ap-
plause, and the speaker seemed to think he
had hit popular vein of humor, SO he
went on to say that he had been disap-
pointed by the Republicans, who professed
so much and did so little, but never by the
Democrats. He had never expected any,
thing good from Democrat, and therefore
Democrat could not disappoint him. If
he (the Democracy was for the devil. Won
could depend upon it he would stand up
for the devil-you always know Were to
ind him. But in Pennsylvania the Re-
publicans-while protesting to be temper
ance people-had defeated prohibition.
They did it under the guise of non-parti-
san movement. He never knew a nom
partisan movement to accomplish any,
thing, anyhow; it can't be done. Great
questions must be fought out on their own
merits.
He illustrated this idea bv referring to
the position of Kentucky during the war.
The Kentuckians thought they would
stand between the Northern and Southern
armies, and by declaring that their soil was
non partisan keep back the invading hosts
from either side. But it didn't work. The
louder the Kentuckians proclaimed their
non-partisanship, the nearer came the blue
on the one side and the gray on the other,
until old Kentucky's soil ran red with
blood, and all the non -partisanship of the
people oozed from their fingers ends.
Referring to the failure in certain States
to enforce local option and Sunday laws.
he said that even here in California the
law said that liquor should not be sold on
Sundays nor to minors at any time. But
who paid any attention to the law? These
laws are not enforced by the Democratic
party, and in Massachusetts and Rhode
Island they are not enforced by the Repub-
licans.
The speaker then told. by way of illus
trating point. a story of the far South. in
which q colored man and postum were the
CHIEF actors, and it was noticed that he al
ways spoke of the former as the "nigger.''
However, the story was very good, and was
none the less in consequence of its
age and the rough usage received on the
political stump during many campaigns.
Mr.. Brooks next paid his respects to the
high license proposition, which he severely
denounced. He asked, What shall we do
with the liquor traffic? We must have
either free liquor, high license, or prohibi,
ton, and which shall it be? Between
free liquor and high license, he was
Tor free liquor-frst, last. and all the time.
This declaration struck a responsive chord
In the breasts Cor, possibly the stomachs),
of many OF his listeners, and the speaker
was warmly applauded He said that
when no licenses,were issued for LIQUOR.
selling, and everybody that wanted to
could sell 1t, the people of the country
drank annually but four gallons of whisky
per capita; but now, under the license
system, they drink twelve gallons for every
man, woman and child. Let's 90 back"
he said, Ito free whlskyl" More ap-
plause.l Then there were no saloons. and
the liquor traffic was not concentrated as it
is to-day for political purposes, and was
not such power in the land. Now, few
LIQUOR men control the business, and by
forming trust manage to control the re-
tallers, and through them the elections that
place men in office.
Put up" he said, :" a decent Democrat
If you can find one-on a Prohibition
ticket and attempt 10 elect him. You will
see him slaughtered; and the same result
would follow if you should put up Re-
publican gentleman under the same condi-
TONS"
The liquor traffic, said the speaker is en-
throned in the lust of power, the lust of
gain ana the lust OF appetite. The friends
OF prohibition must not feel that thew are
to have walk-over. II will be no easv
matter to down the enemy. 1t will be a
terrible and fearful war but the right will
be knew it would succeed, for
no great reform ever went backward. But
when will Christian Republicans and Dem
Gratis make up their minds to get down of
the fence? The Republicans have been on
the fence for sometime, and the rails must
be getting sharp by this time. The Demo-
Gratis are whistling TO them on one side
and the Prohibitionists on the other. and
the poor fellows are in a quandary. while
the fence is getting sharper all the time II
Is hard for them TO have to get off, but thew
must, and he was satisfied they would get
down on the right side.
In Missouri the Democrats passed local
option law, and the LIQUOR dealers deter
mined to punish them. So they set
TO work and elected three Republicans to
Congress from Democratic districts, and
thus changed the political complexion of
the lower House of Congress. Think of
that you Republicans F" exclaimed the
speaker. You were given control of Con-
gress through the power of the liquor traf-
nc !" In New York few years ago the
Democrats, he said, accidentally put M a
sober, temperance man for Governor May
nard), and all the ticket was elected except
him. Last year the New York LIQUOR
crowd elected Dave Hill Governor, and Ben
Harrison President. They did not vote for
Cleveland, or he would have been elected.
Christian Republicans and Democrats
get down on their knees (someiimes) and
pray to God to deliver the country from the
evils OF intemperance, and then go off and
vote for their party candidates, leaving the
Prohibitionlsts TO fight the battle alone.
May the Lord have mercy on their two
sided souls" Laughter
Inc speaker, again reverting to high
Incense, said II did not restrict the LIQUOR
traffic. In high-license States no man was
ever refused a license from lack of money
TO pay for it. If il became a question be-
tween the closing of respectable" saloons
and the dives, he wanted to see the former
closed and the dives kept open. He
claimed that the latter attracted only the
dregs Of society, and the sooner they ran
their conrse the better. You can't stop
old topers, anyhow" he said.
While engaged in illustrating the theory
Of regulating the liquor traffic b. showing
bow difficult it would be to regulate a lot
Of cats atfiicted with hydrophobia-by
clipping their tails, a donkey hitched across
the street set up prolonged and most ur-
musical braying. into which were inter-
woven all the heaven-piercing variations
known to the donkey repertoire. The
speaker stopped to give the creature the
night OF way, and then resumed by remark
ng that truth was capable of converting
even two-legged animal like that levi
1ently believing that the snthor of the
music was some untams4 citizen who
iidnt like the speakers sntiments).
Mr.. Brooks spoke at length on the tenn
oerance question, predicting that the prin-
'iples advocated by the Prohibition party