The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-12
PRAISES ROOSEVELT.
Governor John P. st. John Is an
Admirer
Of the Only Man Who Ever Shut
the Saloons
IN NEW YORK CITY.
An Interview With st. John at
Baltimore.
He Will Never Again Run For
Any Office.

BALTIMORE, July 12-The Baltimore
Sun publishes an interesting interview
with John P ST. John, who came here
for the purpose of making an address at
Glyndon park. Among other things
Gov. St John said:
1--WE have often been told that pro-
hibition could not be enforced in the
large cities. A complete answer to all
such statements is found IN the fact that
under the police administration headed
by Theodore Roosevelt in New York
city, the greatest city on this conti-
nent, it has been demonstrated that the
saloons can be closed and kept closed
throughout the Sabbath day. If its Of
ticers, backed up by the law, can close
the saloons on one day in the week, they
can close them on the other. six days if
the law only requires them to de SO. l
have too much faith in the American
people, too much faith in the Republi-
can form of government, to believe that
any evil in this land has grown to such
proportions that it is beyond the power of
the people to suppress it
The noted prohibitio leader is a strong
free trader "The revival of manufac-
lures in the past year," he said, ''can be
attributed largely to the fact that the
manufacturing interests had been en-
tirely suspended Gor so many months
that it resulted in exhausting the supply.
I am of the opinion, too, that the Wilson
tariff bill has had good effect on our
manufacturing interests, and l, am still
more strongly of the opinion that in the
end it would be a godsend to this cOun-
try, and especially to the laboring classes
| of this country, if the whole system of
| tariff robbery was blotted out to the end
that every business might stand upon its
| own merit"
On the silver question the ex-governor
| is pronounced bimetallist. 81 am in
| favor of the free and unlimited coinage
| of both gold and silver at a ratio of 16 to
l, and | firmly believe that to the de-
monetizstion of silver in 1878, coupled
with other financial legislation in the IN
terest of Wall street during the past
twenty five years, may be justly attrib-
uted the hard times, which have grad
ually been coming upon US in
the past ten years. This condition of
things will get no better until we have
revolution in our present financial sys-
tenn, by which the government will issue
| all money, and whether gold, silCer or
paper, every dollar so issued to be just
as good, no better, before the law, for all
purposes, than every other dollar so is
sued.
"Any system that discriminates in
favor of one class of government money
and against another is. to the extent of
such discrimin alton, legalized robbery"
The story of how the ex-governor first
came to engage in an active contest
against the liquor traffic is best
told in his own words. Il have always
been opposed to the liquor traffic, and
l have never used a quart of it in my
Tf of q nd n fat h
or, and has since robbed me of many dear
friends. l promised my mother, when a
bov only II years old that as long as liv-
ed would oppose the business and have
tried faithfully to keep that pledge. l am
fighting the battle, not only for my own
boys, but for all other boys, and l don't
stop to inquire their race. condition, pol
itics or color. l simply recognize the
fact that my government legalizes 240,
900 places for their destruction. and in
an humble way l am endeavoring to do
all in my power to change that system of
government by removing these houses
| of drunkenness, debauchery aud sin, and
making it possible for the boys of today
to grow up to a sober, stalwsrt man.
| hood.
81 will never again accept a nomina-
tion for any Office, because [ don't want
to be bound down too closely by what
/ the party pIaIIoTm HdppenS 10 IhInk Is
right l work now with the prohibition
party, because it comes nearest to what
my own conscience tells-me is right"
Some idea of the amount of work
which Ex-Governor st. John has done for
the cause of temperance may be gained
from his statement that in the past twelve
years he has travelled 100000 miles by
rail and made $500 public speeches and
addresses. Il have missed but four ap.
pointments in that time," he added
proudly. Il have never been sick az
hour and 1 have never yet been on a train
where our car ran off the track"
Argentine waterwOrk~