Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 August 1884 — GOV. ST. JOHN SPEAKS. [ARTICLE]

GOV. ST. JOHN SPEAKS.

Arraigning: tlie Republican Party for Its Misdeeds— Logan's Black Lait. [Port Jervis (N. Y.) dispatch.] The St. John circuit of temperance camps was opened here on Tuesday last in the Methodist Church. The first speaker was ex-Gov. John P. St. John, of Kansas, the Prohibition nominee for President. In the afternoon he addressed a large audience, which had assembled in a heavy rainstorm, on the evils of licensing and the enormity of the crimes that had cursed our nation through the liquor traffic. In the evening a larger audience assembled, and Gov. St. John spoke of the political aspect of the question, and arraigned the Republican party for the misrule that has characterized its work for the past twenty years. He said: “I have been a Republican all my life up to the 4th of last month, but I have never lost an opportunity to say or do a good deed for this great cause of prohibition. When the Republ can party met at Chicago to select candidates for President and Vice President last month, they were waited upon by the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, a band of brave women having at heart the advancement of the race, and the Republican party f ..lied to take any recognition of them. The day alter the nominations were made I told my wife I would never again vote the Republican ticket, and all my exertions would be for the grand cause of prohibition. Neither party dared take up this great Issue for fear of losing the whisky vote. Shame, shame on our political parties. I used to lie awake nights, when I lived in the bordeMowns and was a Republican, hating Democrats and Democratic principles. Since the 4th of last month I have made up my mind that Republican whisky is as bad as Democratic whisky, if not worse. The Republican party is false to all the te chIngs advanced and inculcated when the grand old party went into power. “There was a law once in force in Illinois to the effect that any white person caught in the act of giving aid or sustenance to any colored man, woman, or child should be arrested, and, upon proof of the charge, should be thrown into prison for two years. I was iracticing law at that time in an Illinois town, when a little colored lad came to my house and said; ‘Phase, mister, won’t you give me something to eat? I haven’t had anything to eat lor two days.’ I called my wife and told her to get the boy a big slice of brt ad, butter it all over, and get some meat. ‘Would it not be better,’ she said, ‘to let the boy oonio into tho house, as everybody seems to be watching usV’ ‘No, I want this people to see that I am not afraid to give and sustain any of Ood's poor unfortunates.' The

grand jury was in session at the time, and an indictment was soon found against me for giving sustenance to a negro. I was accordingly arrested and brought before the court, and pleaded guilty to the charge, and stated in open court that I would do so again, and whenever I fonnd the laws of man interfering with the laws of God I would violate the human law every time. The testimony given had the desired effect, and the court announced to the packed court house that he ionnd the prisoner at the bar ’Not guilty of the charge,’ and 1 was set free. The man who was the prime mover and factor in the passage of this bill was none other than John A, Logan, the nominee for Vice President of the Republican party. “One-sixth of onr people govern the other five-sixths. If this one-sixth be corrupt and intemperate the five-sixths will not be long in getting so too. After the Yorktown celebration a bill was sent in by the Republicans for $6,300 for wines and whiskies used on that occasion. At the star route trials one of the jurors came into the court-room and fell senseless at the feet of the Judge, grossly intoxicated. But this is not all; under Republican misrule we have been insulted and mortified by the drunken corteges that accompanied the remains of onr murdered Garfield to their last resting place.” Gov. St. John was listened to with the greatest respect, and he has created a furor here that will be felt in the coming election. The Daily Union (Rep.), edited by Postmaster St. John, comes out with a communication calling the Prohibition meetings “side shows for the Democracy.” The meetings are each day being attended by increasing numbers, aud much enthusiasm is being manifested.