The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1915-09-09

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y wealth an organization that will
reach the last citizen in the last
township. Here we must make an
adequate budget that will provide
the "sinews ofNwar." Here under God
we must dedicate ourselves anew 10
his high task and resolve never 10
sheath the sword until its shining
blade is deep in the vitals OF the rum
hydra and we hang high his dripoing
heads at the gates of every city, TOW Il
hamlet and cross road of the country.
"It will be hard fight. Listen not
to that foolish optimism which says
that the battle is already won. There
S danger in over-confdence. Let Us
not mis-calculate the strength of our
enemies. They have keen leadership
great financial resources and COM
oact and perfect organization. They
are on the defensive, it is true, but
not on the run. They are afraid. but
not panic stricken and will fight to
the last ditch They are not fair fight
| ers. They never come out in the open
if they can help it. They never call
a great peoples convention, but be-
| hind closed doors and in back rooms,
they plan and plot. Their methods are
those to which we would not resort.
They are bribery, colonization, inti-
midation, boycott and assassination.
| There is no crime in the calender
that they have not committed and
will not commit again if they dare.
dare.
Aware, of late, that the world has
become too familiar with their meth
DDS they have assumed the livery of
he Anti-Saloon league and other ten
perance organizations and are mas
1uerading around under the ames OF
Temperance unions Business Mems
,ocieties and other pious and preten-
tious titles. But everybody knows it
S the same old beast with horns,
Noofs and black hands.
"But we can win this battle If we
are willing to pay the nrice of vic
,ory. We can win it by twenty thous-
and majority The peorla arn with
is. The farmers are our friends. The
merchants, the manufacturers and
the mechanics march in our ranks
more than ever before. Commercial
travellers and the vast industrial con-
Germs which they represent are SYM
pathetic. Professional men and poll
ticans no longer debase themselves
by championing the saloon. There is
not public man of really national
leadership who wants to be known
as the friend of the "booze" forces
Of this country.
"There are nearly six hundred
laily newspapers who decline all
liquor advertisements and many of
If them are open advocates of prohi-
bition. Science and medicine are on
our side. The churches, schools and
colleges and the great fraternal and
insurance societies swe'l the ranks
Of our army. God is wiz us. Christ
IS our captain. We viii VIZ. No pnwer
on earth can stand hef0~e s"ch a
movement, animated hv t''r cnirit OF
the new age and inspired by the pros
oect of a near victory. In eHch a day
She differences which divide the tenn
uerance forces vanish. All people who
believe in the prohibition of the Ii
censed liquor business touch shoulder
irrespective of name or party. To-
gether we will put our state in the
dry" column and add another star
o the galaxy of states which will
soon be able to write prohibition
n our national constitution.
so we welcome you, members of
this great convention, to our splendid
saloonless city. We are happy,
prosperous community and receive
YOU with open arms. We hope that
YOUR soiourn with us may be as de-
lightful for you as we know it Will
be for us and that for everybody it
may be a pleasant memory in all the
years to come. We want that in the
months which follow when in the
fight and maybe hard pressed, youl
may recall the convention here take!
courage and go forward, for the VIC
tory is sure.
4" We are not here to play, to dream,
to drift,
We have hard work to do, and loads,
to lift.
Shun not the struggle, face it, tits
Gods gift.
Sav not the days are evil-who's to-
blame?
Ara fold the hands and acquiesce--
o shamG
Stand up. speak out, and bravely, in
Gods name.
1t matters not how deep intrenched
the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day
how long;
Faint not, fight on! Tomorrow comes
the song"
NEAR MARTIAL LAW