Gilpin observer., 1919-01-23
POLITICAL ISSUE
FOR FIFTY YEARS
PROHIBITION PARTY PERSISTED
IN WHAT SEEMED LIKE
HOPELESS BATTLE.
Women Have Been Prominent In
Movement Through w. c. T. u
Frances Willard Won World
Wide Fame.

Nationwide prohibition has been a
political issue in the United States for
the last fifty years because Of the
activities of the Prohibition party.
Other organizations, including the
Anti-Saloon league, the Women's
Christian Temperance union and 9th
ers, which passed out of existence
after careers extending over various
periods of time, have fought for state
and national prohibition, but the Pro-
hibition party has continued in exist
ence for longer period of time than
any other antiliQuor organization, and
1t has continued in the face of discour-
aging defeats.
The Prohibition party will celebrate
its fiftieth birthday next September.
1t was formally organized ut con-
vention held in Farwell hall, Chicago.
in September, 1869, when 10 states
were represented by 500 delegates.
For several years the formation of
such a party had been discussed be-
cause the leaders of the Republican
and Democratic parties had virtually
The Good Templars, organized in 1851
as society of total abstainers, urged
such action, and other leaders believed
it necessary. AT n state temperance
convention held in Pennsylvania in
1867 the plan was first publicly broach-
ed, and two years later on May %
1860, the call for the Chicago conven-
tinn prrt hy tho GRAND lp1pa of
the Good Templars in session at Os-
wego, N. Y. A committee to formulate
the plans was named. comprising John
Russell, Detroit; ]. A. Spencer Cleve-
land, o.; James Black, Lancaster, Pa;
John N. Stearns, New York, and Dan
iel wilkins, Bloomington, Ill. The con-
vention called by this committee or
ganized the party on September l,
adopted platform and appointed n
national committee of which John Rus
sell was chairman.
First National Ticket.
Nearly three years later, on Wash
ington's birthday, 1872, the new party
met in convention in Columbus, o., to
place a national ticket in the field.
James Black was nominated for presi-
dent and John Russell for vice presi-
dent. Mr.. Black was prominent Good
Templar and also was one of the
founders of the National Temperance
Society and Publication house and Of
the Camp Meeting association at
Ocean Grove. N. ]. Mr.. Russell, also
leader of the Good Templars and a
Methodist minister, was known as the
father of the Prohibition party, for he
published a newspaper, the Peninsular
Herald, which led the way in advocat-
ing the organization of the party for
political action.
With all their devotion to the cause,
the Prohibition leaders had no hope of
success in the election of 1872, and
they were not disappointed. Their
ticket received only 5.607 votes. This
did not discourage them, and four
years later they put Green Clay Smith
of Kentucky and Gideon r.. Stewart
on the ticket. These gentlemen re-
ceived 9,737 votes. General Neal Dow
of Maine, who had gained fame as the
author of the Maine Prohibition law,
WIS tue utAt pIesiueiitlui Cuhuluute,
in 1880, with H. A. Thompson in sec
ond place on the ticket. They polled
only 1896 votes.
st. Johns Hot Campaign.
When the plans were being laid for
the campaign of 1884, Frances +. Will
lard and her fellow workers of the W.
G. T. U. entered the field. They sent
to the Republican convention great
petition asking that consideration be
given the pleas of the temperance ad-
vocates, but it was ignored and even
thrown into the dirt on the floor. and
Miss Willard promptly turned to the
Prohibition party. Her help was wei
coined and John z. st. John of Kan
sas was put at the head of the cold
water ticket. Already he was nota-
BILE figure, for he had fought In the
Civil war as lieutenant colonel Of the
143d regiment of Illinois volunteers
and later served two terms as COVER
nor of Kansas. He was u Republican.
but his party thought him too warm n
friend Of the prohibitionists and he
was defeated for reelection in 1882.
Accepting the Prohibition nomination,
he went into the campaign with all
his vigor and delivered stirring
speeches all over the country, espe-
cially paying attention to New York
state, where the fight between james
G. Blaine and Grover Cleveland had
made things very warm. st. John was
out to beat the Republicans. and he
succeeded for the Prohibition vote
was large enough to let Cleveland win
New York state and. in consequence,
the nation. The Prohibitionists polled
the surprisingly large vote of 150,626.
The Prohibition convention of 1896
split the party over woman suffrage
and money. The "free silver" minor
ity formed Liberal party. with Bent
New Mexico California Ohio Nayadn