The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-03-22

clEaGlons that follow Will have ten
dency to show that, in the great cities
especially, the saloon is one of the
important political factors.
In his letter of acceptance of the
nomination of the prohibition party
for governor of Massachusetts, Sep
tember Z, 1870, Wendell Phillips said:
New York ruled by drunkards is proof of
the despOtism of the dramshop. Men whom
murderer serve that they may escape, and
because they have escaped the Rallows, rule
that city. The ribald crew which holds
them up could neither Btifle it's own con-
science nor rally it's retinue but for the help
of the grogshop. A like testimony comes
from the history Of our other great cities.
State laws are deaed in their streets; and by
means Of the dramshop and the gilded
saloons of fashionable hotels, their ballot
box is in the hands Of the criminal Glasses,
of men who avOwedly and systematically
defy the laws. Indeed, this is the case in
Boston.
From Encyclopaedia ofTempersnce,
page 489, we take the following:
In 1884, a valuable investigation was con-
Quoted by Robert Graham, secretary Of the
Church Temperance Society. He located
all the nominating conventions and primar-
les of the democratic and republican parties
in New York, and found that in total of
LOOP conventions and primaries of these
parties, 6S3 were held in saloons, and ninety
six in places next door to saloons.
A like investigation in other large
cities would disclose a similar dis
graceful condition of affairs. Mr..
VIM. Grosvenor, formerly editor Of
the Missouri Democrat, which was
afterwards consolidated with the
Globe under the title of Globe Demo-
crat by a corrupt deal Of its owner,
Mr.. Mckee, with the great whisky
ring, wrote of some of the transac-
tlons OF that ring as follows:
The first assessment (upon the distilleries)
was made, prOfessedly, to raise a Camuaign
fund for the city election (St. Louis) in
April, 1871. AS soon as the Democrat
changed its course, great effort was made
to put an end to the liberal organization,
and unite all former republicans in support
of the administration, and a victory in st.
Louis was reached as a proof that the re-
union had been effected. How much of the
money raised professedly for this purpose
was actually paid for campaign expenses is
not known. But more than one distiller
has told me how he was induced to contrib
ute, and how, if he objected to fraud, he |
was forced TO choose between participation
wish the ring or bankruptcy.
Republican ward meetings were packed |
by companies Of men gathered up from dis
tilleries under the lead Of revenue officials.
Republican candidates for the legislature
who would not pledge themselves to vote
against the reelection Of Senator Schurz |
were openly denounced by this ring and its |
organ and defeated wherever it was posi-
BILE. Doubtless this opposition helped to |
insure the election of a former confederate |
general. For this most important service |
to the republican party, after leading mem
bers of the ring had been indicted, they |
claimed that they were entitled to executive |
favor. This behavior of the ring in 1S74led |
to it's destruction. Men who had no knowl- |
edge of its existence, except By general
rumor, set themselves to find out something |
about this influence which had marched men |
from distilleries to republican ward meet