submit it; if you do we will beat your party." 73 And the party men, whipped down under the liquor sellers, said it would not do to submit it. You say Russia is a despotism. Why? Because the Czar says, "You shall not make a constitution for yourselves." In Wisconsin the party machine sits on the neck of the people and says, "You shall not make a constitution for yourselves." Can you tell me the difference between the despotism of the Czar and the despotism of political demagogues? You say in Wisconsin you have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, and you know that for years and years the statement has been made a lie by the political machines of this state. The people begged and plead for the right to vote on a primary principle of government, but because some men feared it would knock a cog off the wheel of the old party machine they denied the right of the people to govern themselves. Thus, ladies and gentlemen, under the license system the liquor oligarchy has grown until it impudently defies law and seeks to overturn the very foundations of the government. Its character as a political assassin is so well known that politicians ask-not what will the people do-but what do the liquor men want? how will the dramsellers regard our action? In view of all the facts, it seems to be the plain duty of every patriot and citizen to rally to the defense of American liberties, and by crushing the grogshop oligarchy, strengthen the foundations of our civil and political institutions. I have faith to believe that the jury of America's voters will condemn the traffic and that the Republic will execute the sentence. Then, indeed, may the patriot poet sing: Columbia, Columbia, to glory arise, The queen of the world and the child of the skies! III. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ISSUES. DELIVERED AT LEWIS' OPERA HOUSE, DES MOINES, IOWA, APRIL 22, 1882. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: I have come to your state to discuss the necessity, feasibility and practicability of the prohibition or inhibition of the alcoholic liquor traffic. This traffic having been indicted by the legislative grand jury is now in the court, to be tried by the grandest jury of a republic-the people. Your legislators having recognized that the salus populi, not the salus CIVITATIS, is the suprema LEX, the case is in your hands to investigate, examine and determine. The law-making power being the one to pass on the question, the issue involved is not one of law but of fact. I enter this investigation with misgivings in regard to my own abilities to materially assist you. I come as an assistant not as a teacher, and hope I may, if I do anything, assist you to reach a just, righteous verdict. In view of the great interests involved, I would not, as an American citizen, dare mislead you, but deem it my duty to counsel the fullest, fairest and most complete investigation of all the facts in this case. The gentlemen who are defending the criminal have, and probably will continue to exhaust every quibble before they will go to trial on the real issue. A celebrated lawyer once said to a graduating class, "If you have a client who is guilty, and who has no defense, never let him be tried." "How will you "If they prevent it?" asked one of the students. force you into court, try the opposing attorney, try the witnesses, try the judge, and if nothing else will win, try the jury, but never try your client." This advice has been and will be adopted by the defense, and it may be best for us at the commencement of this investigation to determine by whom and how the case is to be tried, and what issues are, and what issues are not involved in the case. This question is to be tried by you voters, not as Germans, Irishmen, Englishmen, Scotchmen, New Yorkers, or Illinoisans, but as citizen voters of Iowa, bound by your honor as voters to do what in your honest judgment is best for the state. It is to be deprecated that the gentlemen on the side of the liquor traffic have thought it necessary to appeal to class, clan and national prejudices, thereby disintegrating society for selfish ends. Although such demagoguery will not influence you sensible men, it shows how utterly reckless and unscrupulous are the advocates on the other side. See what interests they jeopardize to accomplish an acquittal. A republic must be homogeneous if it hopes to live and prosper. An individual cannot take into his stomach pine-knots, sticks, stones, tacks and nails, and allow them to remain there unassimilated and undigested, and live, and Iowa cannot take into her political organism New Yorkers, Illinoisans, Germans, Irishmen and persons from other nations and states, allow them to remain in the political organism banded together as clans and nationalities, unassimilated and undigested, and politically or socially prosper. Anything that prevents the assimilation or digestion of food in the physical organism is an enemy of the body. Any man or class of men who try to induce Germans to band together in this country as Germans, or Irishmen as Irishmen, is a traitor to the government and its liberties. All such work and talk is unrepublican, undemocratic and un-American, as well as an insult to the nationality thus sought to be used as tools. The term "German vote," which, during the last few years, has become a power in certain political circles, originated in this vile demagoguery. All voters in this country are Americans, native and foreign born. No man has a right to vote in Iowa as a New Yorker or German. If he votes it is as a citizen of Iowa. Any man who does not love Iowa better than any other country, had better emigrate. American know-nothingism was a curse to this country because it acted as a disintegrating force on society. German know-nothingism, as now de |