Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-24
DOWN ON KING ALCOH OL
Conclusion of Yesterdays PrOhibi
tiOn Convention.
WAN r-Governor st. Johns
Addr IS in the Evening

|
at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon there
being eight contestants. The names an
subjects being as follows: RESPONSE
bility of the Liquor Traffic" Clarence
Spalding, Rock Island; Prohibition the
Hope of Oar Country" Lester Minor. of
Milan; The New Declaration of hide
pendence," Hester Berglund. of Moline
Young America War Cry" Fred Green,
of Coal Valley; The English Sparrow"
Willie Keel of Milan; Who ia to Blames'
Walter Rogers, of Port Byron: IA Bar
rell of Whiskey," Alice Reed. of Port
Byron, Young Americas War Cry"
Will Bennett, Moline.
The contest was a close one, each
showing marked ability, and the judges
found it hard matter to decide where
the lot should fall. but Clarence Spauld>
ing, of this city, was finally selected as
the one who should carry off the honors
of the day, and accordingly ex Gov.
John F. ST. John, of Kansas, in a short
speech, presented the medal to the young
man, reminding him that in after years
be wodld look back upon that day as one
OF the happiest events OF his life. Adj
journment was then taken until the eve>
ming at O'clock.
Last evening Harper's theatre Contain
ed an audience of fair numbers TO hear
Ex-Governor John P. St. John, of Ran
sas. d. l.. Bullen. of Moline, presided,
and there were also on the stage, Rev.
q. c. Marshall, Rev. G E. Taylor and
&C. Dougherty and Mrs. Mary Metz
gar. The exercises opened with the sing
ing Of America" TO piano sccompsni-
ment, Mr.. Dougherty leading.
The speaker OF the evening, Gov. St.
John, was Introduced by Mr.. Bullen, and
be waded at once into his subject, the
liquor question, without prelimina-ies.
Away back in the SOS, he said, there
was on the statute books of Illinois a
law which imposed penalties to the ex,
tent oftwo years Imprisonment and ST.
600 fac for extending kindness or show
ing humanity TO colored man, so great
was the opposition in this state to. the coll
ored msu, to say nothing of the hostility
to the abolition of ais very.
To give a colored man food or
clothing was a crime in this state punish.
able under the law, The speaker knew
this 20 be d fact because he had been
tried for favoring colored man as late
as 1862 in this state, but he believed it to
be case of Gods law against mans and
he had obeyed Gods law. Yet he said
the license liquor laws on the statute
books of Illinois today which permitted
the existence Of 10, 1S1 retail liquor estab
lishmenls are 10 times more heathenish.
: more degrading and more damuable than
) the black laws Of Illinois ever were. The
lega.ized liquor traffic of Illinois. he held,
rJbs the subjects of the state of bread,
clothing and shelter. the state Of its man
? hood, RODS the home of peace, prosperity
: and happiness and robs the victim of al
hope of immortality. He claimed that
, al. crime was tracesble TO the liquor
traffic and asserted that he stood at ths,
} moment in q hot bed of licensed slavery
a: He spoke Of both the OLD parties as saloor
parties. which had licensed and coun
tenanced a number of liquor establish
ments which if put in line would form
a street 50 miles long, which be termed 6
legalized street of hell.
He switched around from state to na-
tional politics, cutting right and left into
both the democratic and republican par
ties. asserting that the Fourth of July
spread eagle declaration that this was 6
government of the people, for the people
and by the people was false. that the
great trouble was people let others do tbeii
thinking, and accepted the words arC
thoughts of others without thinking for
themselves. He touched upon the sub
jsct of women's suffrage, and held thai
the prevailing impression in the republi'
can party seemed to be that women were
not people, bat were only fit TO darr
socks, wash dishes and keep up the
churches. He thanked the Lord that ht
belonged to party which placed womer
on an equality with man, through thu
medium Of the ballot box. Returning agar
to the liquor question he ventured thu
prediction that rs years hence would fine
all the saloons blotted out of existence
when we shall be more ashamed of GU
present laws than we ever wer'
Of slavery. The will Of the peopl
he said is alone responsible TO
such laws. all Of which originate
in the ballot. There is the strength o