Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 September 1884 — THEY ACCEPT. [ARTICLE]

THEY ACCEPT.

The Standard-Bearers of the Prohihi tionists Formally Notified of Their Nomination. St. John Bays His Party Works for th Nation’s Welfare Through tke People’s Homes. (Cuba (N. Y.) special] A Prohibition camp meeting, to last fiv days, is in progress at the circuit grounds a grove two miles from this village Th principal leaders and speakers of the Prohi bition movement are in attendance. An audi ence of 3,000 is in attendance. The exer cises this morning opened with music ant prayer, after which Prof. Dickey, Chair man of the Notification Committee, ad dressed the candidates, John P. St. Johi and William Daniel, as follows: Gentlemen : I ata to speak for the commit tee representing here to-day the national con vention of the Prohibition party, recently ii session at Pittsburgh. In harmony with politi cal usages, and in keeping with the dignity an< importance of the high position in which w shall endeavor to place you, we are here for th purpose of notifying you, in this official an< formal manner, of vour selection as can didates of the National Prohibition part; for the positions respectively of Presiden and Vice President of the United State! The convention which thus honored itse by so wise selections was no ordinar gathering. Men were there bowed under th weight of many years, who a generation ago me in the same hall to organize tor victory in wha seemed to some a hopeless cause, the battl against that other slavery. Young men wer there with the ardor of youth and the devotio; of heroes; women were there—Frances Wi)lar< and Mary Woodbridge, and Mrs. Burt and Mar Lathrop and Esther Hugh—representatives d the best brain and heart of American woman hood. It was a convention of earnest men an< pure women, who were there to express the opin ion that the Government ought to be a govern ment of the people and by the people, and not i government of the saloon and by the saloon an for the saloon. It was a convention liepresenting a powerfu constituency from all parts of our land, a con stituency composed of citizens grown tired o the spectacle of two old political parties rivalin each other in their eagerness to serve the liquo traffic, going dov4i upon their faces in the dus before the Moloch of men, and crying out, in th language of Scripture: “Am I not’thine assupo: which thou hast ridden?” I need not assure yo the Prohibition party will give you a mos ardent support. We may not succeed in electin you to the high positions for which you hav been named, but we shall enjov the prou satisfaction of knowing that our candidate were the only candidates, and our party was th only party, that ought to have succeeded. Ana now, gentlemen, in the name of th noblest manhood and the purest womanhood o America, I invoke the blessing of Almighty Goi to rest upon you, and may that divine powe which rules and overrules in the affairs of na tions and of men vouchsafe unto von sue measure of strength, and courage, and wisdoi as shall enable you to bear well the burden which the National Prohibition party, with su preme confidence, now lays upon you. Gov. St. John replied as follows: Mr Chairman and Members of Committee: In receiving this formal notice of my nomine tion for the highest office within the gift of th people by the national convention of the Pro hibition party, permit me, notwithstanding th distinction was neither sought nor desired b me, to assure you, in view of the unanimit with which it was given, of my high appreciatio: of the great honor it confers. There are mor political parties in the field to-day than ther are political issues. Upon the great question a to what shall be done with the traffic of intox eating liquors as a beverage, both the Dem< cratic and Republican parties are united in save of making the traffic permanent, while the Pro hibitlonists demand that it be forever place under the condemnation of the laws of the lane Thus an issue is clearly made, and I think it tb only one to-day that really reaches the heai and conscience of the citizens. Upon th! issue we go to the people, the source of all po lltical power. Let us appeal to reason rathe than to prejudice. Let those resort to persons

abuse and scandal who have nothing better t uphold their cause. The Prohibition party not organizing as a mere threat or menace, is the outgrowth of a rapidly increasing crysta lized sentiment against the great evil < the age; an evil that the old partit dare not attack, but against which th young party of the people, in detent of the homes of the nation, has entered upon warfare that shall never cease so long as the fla of our cojintry waves its protecting folds ove legalized dram-shops. In this struggle let U ever remember we are accountable to God; ths our duty to Him is paramount to our allegianc to any political party; that political ties wi never in His sight excuse a ballot for any part that does not stand up fearlessly for the righ The home will have nothing to fear if the pec pie vote as they pray. Mr. Daniel followed, and said: Mr. Chairman and members of the oemmitte* lam profoundly gratified for the honor con ferred upon me by selecting me as one of th standard bearers of this great reform move ment. I accept the nomination for the office o Vice President, and expect to do so more formal! by letter hereafter, knowing well that it is on of responsibility and involving no little of per sonal.sacrifice; and I appreciate this honor nc merely as a personal one but as a token of th appreciation by the convention of the Sarnes solid prohibition work that has been done i my native State of Maryland within the fe years past. I also appreciate it as an ind cation and desire of our brethren of the grei North and West to obliterate all sectional part lines and build up a grand Union party com posed of the best elements on both sides of th line in array against the worst, the represents tives of protection to homes warring against th saloons. This disposition is the more clear! evinced from the fact that I am the first perso selected since the war from a Southern State a a candidate for a national position, and I trui this action will be the harbinger of that reign C harmony, good-will, and unity throughout th land which a poet has described as The union of lakes, the union of lands. The union of States none can sever; The union of hearts, the union of hands, And the flag of our Union forever. Whatever may be the result of this effort, so fa as the precise number of votes polled is con cerned, I believe the agitation will be of im mense advantage to the cause and the country I believe the result will be to rivet the earnes thoughtful attention of the American peopl upon this liquor traffic, this gigantic crime o crimes, so as to cause the speedy adoption < such measures as will greatly hasten its over throw. The duty of the hour is to crystallt! and organize prohibition sentiment. We hav already entered into political action, and tlu having a standard to which we can rally, w shall more rapidly form whatever else of sent ment that may be needed than in any otiu way. I have to say in conclusion that I sha do all in my power now and henceforth to bea onward this Prohibition standard. The following was the Committee of No tification f Prof. Samuel Dickey of Mich igan, Chairman; Judge James Black, Penn sylvania; Prof. A. A. Hopkins, New/Yorl D. Shelton, Kansas; the Rev. John Rus sell, Michigan; Miss Frances Willard, Uli nois; the Hon. S. D. Hastings, Wisconsii George R. Scott, New York; Miss Mar Woodbridge, Ohio; the Hon. J. T. Turnei of Alabama.