Backbone. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. ;) 1897-1906, 1904-12-01
Happy PrOhibitiOniStS
At Their Annual Festal Board They Rejoice
Over the Past and Invest $1,000
In the Future.
In the Future.

/ i'll u1O lutuhOs /
The Annual Banquet of the Prohi-
bitionists of Minnesota was held on
the evening of Dec. 9Th in the Y. M.
C. A. Auditorium, Minneapolis, where
the State Convention also took place.
The attendance was not as great as
usual, owing to several causes. Dor
sett served, giving abundant evidence
that, although not elected Governor, he
still has a visible means of support.
Rev. w. A. Shannon, Minneapolis, re-
turned thanks to the Giver of all good.
After the happy company had done
justice to the splendid menu, exchang-
ing "reminiscences of the campaign
meanwhile, the editor of Backbone,
POSTMASTER, called the assembly to or
der and introduced Rev. S. w. Squire,
Kimball, who led in general and
hearty rendering of America" The
POSTMASTER, in greeting the assembled
Prohibitionists, asserted that the Pro-
hibition party had practically won it's
fight since nearly everything it stood
for was now assented to by intelligent
and conscientious men generally. The
votes would come next and were COM
ing.
Governor Dorsett was the first
speaker. He spoke loosely of the
several members of the Governors
party" and of what the State Commit
tee probably expected each of them to
do for him. He then launched out into
a statement of our principles and aims
and defended them in the manner
which, in the campaign just closed,
won for him the respect and votes Of
SO many.
Referring to the little family unpleas-
antness down at Chicago. he said:
"As Frederick the Great went into
battle in which the odds were tremend-
him in command. If fall, cover me with
your cloak and let the battle go on In
like manner If one of our leaders has
proven to be less worthy than we thought
him to be, let us cover him with the man
tie Of charity and go on with the fight.
With malice toward none and with char
ity for ALL let us face the future and the
by supreme confidence in the righteous
ness of our cause and in it's final triumph"
State Secretary Calderwood began
with brief history of the temperance
and prohibition movement. He por-
trayed its remarkable growth, giving
facts full of cheer. Coming to practi-
cal politics, he pointed out that
nearly every movement began nation
ally and worked gradually down to
the local community. In this manner
had the Prohibition party been built
up SO far. But the speaker maintain
ed that the time had now come to
reverse the order and to build from
the election precinct and legislative
district up to the White House. The
former work was one of agitation and
education and needed to start from
common center. We are now ready
to do politics, however, and this work
must go on in every precinct and
must be carried on chiefly by the vot-
ers in those precincts. The people
know what the saloon is. Enough
Of them are sentimentally in favor Of
it's overthrow. Our need now is to
build up in every precinct and legisla-
tive district a political party which
will do political work in political ways
and which will so convince voters Of
its ability and purpose that it will
soon take the reins Of government and
kill the saloon.
State Chairman Geo. W. Higgins
followed with plain, earnest putting
of the pecuniary needs Of the work
for the coming year. He did little
urging and no begging. He simply
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