Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-10
Prohibition Orator Criticises
Taft, Roosevelt and Wilson.
DEMAND FOR REAL REFORM
Parties Declared to Be Boss-Rldden
and Rum-Controlled.
LIQUOR TRAFFIC DENOUNCED
Opening Speech by Clinton N. How
ard at National Convention,
Atlantic City.

ATLANTIC CITY, y. J., July 1O--A
sensational attack upon President TAFT.
Col. Theodore Roosevelt and the repub-
lcan and democratic parties in general
marked the beginning here today OF the
eleventh national prohibition convention.
Clinton N Howard of Rochester, n. Y,
temporary chairman Of the convention,
made a speech which bristled with de-
nunciation of the "boss-ridden. liquor
controlled old parties" He declared
nothing in the way of real reform was to
be gained from either of them, or from
third party dominated by Col. Roose-
Welt.
mo other President since the founda-
tion of this government" declared Mr.
Howard has surrendered more abjectly
to the LIQUOR interest of this nation than
has William Howard Taft. His record -
TOO recent familiar and odoriferous to re-
Quire review in this intelligent presence.
Mr. Howard said ii would be a criminai
waste of time to argue that the liquor
traffic could be stamped out through the
republican party .'by its silent PLATFORM
its present and unworthy leadership, us
long consistent liquor record ana It's pres
ent monopoly nurtured candidate who oo-
tanned his nomination a the hands OF
what Theodore Roosevelt declares rep,
resents nothing but successful poiitlcai
litical and financial privilege. and VINO
more than any OF his predecessors has
become the wet nurse for the saloon
And what better results can be ex-
pected from the democratic party! NOT
only as little but less than nothing at
all.
Exactly the same influences that poi
soned the republican party at chicago
were in control at Baltimore.
How about the promised progressive
Roosevelt party?" he asked. we al
ready have two whisky parties and do
not need another. From the standpoint
Of the prohibtionist, by his record. pub
lie utterances and confessed personal
habits. he is the least desirable of them
all.
Posing as the Thou shalt not steal
candidate because his partisans were not
preferred over President Tafts in the
convention. he brazenly boasts that he
stole the Isthmus of Panama from Co.
lombia and let Congress debate about II
afterward.
III the Chicago convention played the
same trick il got the cue from him.
His title to the Panama strip was rs
good as the stolen Taft credentials In
the hands of boss-made delegates, and
no better
Gives Every Thief Passport
STEALING is stealing. Mr.. Roosevelt.
When you taught that the end 1ustifed
the means you gave every tiiiei d pass
port to heaven"
Mr.. Howard referred by name to the
various "bosses'' at the two old party
conventions, concluding with this sally:
And 10 think of Billy Finn. the vice
protector and promoter of Pittsburgh,
and Timothy Woodruff of Brooklyn mas
qurading as Roosevelt 'progressives
What hope is there for reform in America
at such unclean hands? Absolutely none
The speaker predicted that the prohibi-
ton party was certain OF ultimate sue
cess. and informally declaring the con-
yent;on ready to transact business urged
that "all things be done deeently and IN
order"
1T may be said In truth that the splen-
did Woodrow Wilson was not MI Muir
phys choice; but the campaign banner.
decorated with his picture. was flung to
the breeze in front of Tammany Hall
one-half hour after his nomination on
;he order of Charlie Murphy. by long
distance telephone. and the candluate
has since sent his regrets that prior
engagement prevented his presence at the
Tammany Fourth of July.
The temporary chairman said that while
Gov. Wilson was known as a good man.
the prohibitionists "are not here to elect
a good man. but to kill the liquor traf-
fc" Mckinley and Harrison were good
men, in the White House. he added.
but they went out of office with the
country more saturated with rum than
After severely criticising the democratic
House of Representatives for Its failure
10 enact legislation prohibiting the ship
ment of liquor into prohibition territory
in the south. Chairman Howard turned
his guns upon Col. Roosevelt.
Prohibition Cries Shouted.
Hours before National Chairman
Charles r. Jones called the convention to
order crowds Of cheering delegates, fully
half Of them women. marched to the
pier. State delegations followed each
other into the hall. shouting prohibition
rally cries. The New York. Illinois and
Connecticut delegations led the process
sion Cheers for party celebrities FOL
lowed the singing OF America.
Prior to the hour of the convention a
controversy in the Illinois delegation
growing out of the insurgent movement
in the party resulted in the refusal to rec
ognize as a delegate Oliver w. Stewart
OF Chicago. Stewart led a losing fight
In the national committee meeting Mon
day night against Chairman Jones.
At the Illinois convention Mr.. Stewart
failed OF election as delegate to the
convention and today the Illinois delega-
tion declines to recognize him as a dele
gate. Mr.. Stewart had been mentioned
as probable candidate for the presi-
Dental nomination.
Great Campaign Predicted.