Page images
PDF
EPUB

conventions in intensity of excitement. It resulted in the nomination of Joshua Levering of Maryland for president, and Hale Johnson of Illinois for vice-president, on a platform which declared solely for prohibition, with a womansuffrage supplemental resolution attached, which resolution was accepted merely as an indication of the drift of sentiment, but formed no part of the platform proper.

A faction composed of free-silver delegates, woman suffragists, and advocates of populistic planks, "bolted" from the convention; reorganized themselves under the name of the "National party;" and nominated candidates for president and vice-president.

When the delegates met, the great question before them was the determination of the platform. Two opposing factions-known as the "narrow-gauge" and "broad

"-struggled for control. The narrow-gauge faction, under the leadership of Professor Samuel Dickie, chairman of the National Committee, favored a platform confined to the one issue from which the party took its name; on the other hand, the broad-gauge delegates, under the leadership of ex-Governor St. John of Kansas, wished the platform to express, as heretofore, the opinions of prohibitionists on all subjects of public political controversy,and favored an indorsement of woman suffrage, government ownership of railways, free coinage of silver, and abolition of banks. The narrow-gauge faction won the day.

Some excitement occurred at the outset of the convention, over the choice of temporary chairman. Mr. A. A. Stevens of Pennsylvania had been selected for that office by the National Committee, over Mr. E. J. Wheeler, editor of the New York Voice. A minority report of the committee in favor of Mr. Wheeler, was presented by Mr. Dunn of California. This the chairman declared to be out of order-which caused much tumult, whereupon Mr. Wheeler, in behalf of harmony, withdrew his name.

Oliver W. Stewart of Illinois was made permanent chairman by acclamation; and Alonzo E. Wilson of Illinois, permanent secretary. A minority report from the Committee on Permanent Organization favored Mr. Stevens for chairman; but he withdrew his name.

The Prohibition Platform.-The majority report of the Platform Committee was read by Dr. I. K. Funk of New York, chairman in the absence of Dr. J. B. Cranfill of Texas, who was called home on business.

It embodied a narrow-gauge platform of six paragraphs, all relating to the liquor question.

A minority or broad-gauge report was read, favoring addi

tion to the platform, of planks covering a variety of issues:

1. A free-silver coinage plank as follows:

"All money should be issued by the general government only, and without the intervention of any private citizen, corporation, or banking institution. It should be based upon the wealth, stability, and integrity of the nation. It should be a full legal tender for all debts public and private, and should be of sufficient volume to meet the demands of the legitimate business interests of the

HALE JOHNSON OF ILLINOIS,

country. For the purpose of honestly liquidating our outstanding coin obligations, we favor the free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold at the ratio 16 to 1, without consulting any other nation."

2. Reclamation of all unearned grants of land subject to forfeiture: continuous use to be essential to tenure.

3. Governmentownership and operation of railroads, telegraphs, and other monopolies.

4. The national constitution should be so amended as to allow the national revenues to be raised by equitable ad justment of taxation on the properties and incomes of the people; and import duties should be levied only as a means of securing equitable commercial relations with other nations."

5. Abolition of contract convict labor sys

[graphic]

PROHIBITION CANDIDATE FOR VICE PRESIDENT. tem.

6. Adoption of the initiative and the referendum.

7.

8.

Nocitizen should be denied the right to vote on account of sex." "All citizens should be protected in their right to one day's rest, without opposing any one who conscientiously observes any other than the first day of the week."

9. American public schools taught in the English language should be maintained, and no public funds should be applied to sectarian institutions."

10. The president, vice-president, and senators of the United States should be elected by the vote of the people."

11. Grading of pensions to Union veterans upon disability and time of service.

12. Exclusion of pauper and criminal immigration.

13. "None but citizens should be allowed to vote in any state, and naturalized citizens should not be allowed to vote for one year after naturalization papers are issued."

14. International arbitration.

By a vote of 492 to 310 the minority report was made

a part of the majority report, in the interest of full discussion. The earlier sections of the platform, relating to the liquor traffic, were readily adopted.

The forces of disruption came into play when the money plank was rejected by a vote of 387 to 427. The following table gives the details of the vote:

PROHIBITION VOTE ON FREE-SILVER PLANK.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

After this vote was taken, R. H. Patton of Illinois, one of the successors of the law firm of Stuart & Lincoln, Springfield, Ill., moved, as a substitute for all planks adopted and all reported, the one-issue platform finally accepted by the convention, as follows:

PROHIBITION PLATFORM.

"We, the members of the prohibition party, in national convention assembled, renewing our declaration of allegiance to Almighty God as the rightful ruler of the universe, lay down the following as our declaration of political purpose:

The prohibition party, in national convention assembled, de

clares its firm conviction that the manufacture, exportation, importation, and sale of alcoholic beverages has produced such social, commercial, industrial, and political wrongs, and is now so threatening the perpetuity of all our social and political institutions, that the suppression of the same by a national party organized therefor is the greatest object to be accomplished by the voters of our country, and is of such importance that it, of right, ought to control the political actions of all our patriotic citizens until such suppression is accomplished. "The urgency of this course demands the union without further delay of all citizens who desire the prohibition of the liquor traffic. Therefore be it

[ocr errors]

Resolved, That we favor the legal prohibition by state and national legislation of the manufacture, importation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. That we declare our purpose to organize and unite all the friends of prohibition into one party; and in order to accomplish this end we deem it of right to leave every prohibitionist the freedom of his own convictions upon all other political questions, and trust our representatives to take such action upon other political questions as the changes occasioned by prohibition and the welfare of the whole people shall demand."

On motion of Mrs. Ella A. Boole of New York, the following supplemental resolution was added:

Resolved, “The right of suffrage ought not to be abridged on account of sex."

The above platform was drafted by Mr. Patton, though a few minor verbal changes were made after consultation with Mr. Wheelock, president of the Illinois State Christian Citizenship League, Mr. Whipple of The Lever, and Mrs. Gaston of Chicago.

Levering and Johnson Nominated.-The only names. presented for presidential nomination were the following:

Joshua Levering of Maryland, nominated by W. F. Tucker; seconded by John Hipp of Colorado. F. Sibley of Georgia, V. B. Cushing of Maine, Dr. English of New York, Mr. Brown of Ohio, A. A. Stevens of Pennsylvania, Colonel R. S. Cheves of Tennessee, Rev. Joseph Cheaney of Texas, T. R. Carskadon of West Virginia, and others.

Ex-Governor L. C. Hughes of Arizona, nominated by Elisha Kent Kane of Pennsylvania.

As no one came forward to second the nomination of Mr. Hughes, his name was withdrawn; and Mr. Levering was nominated by acclamation.

Several nominations were made for vice-president, but declined. The following names stood:

Hale Johnson of Illinois, nominated by Chairman Dickie;
Ex-Governor L. C. Hughes of Arizona.

It was somewhat uncertain whether Mr. Hughes would accept second place on the ticket. A ballot, taken after midnight, resulted in 309 for Johnson to 132 for Hughes. Mr. Johnson's nomination was then made unanimous.

Joshua Levering: Biographical Sketch.-The prohibition party was the first in this campaign to set its presidential candidate in the field. Joshua Levering, nominated by the "sound-money" branch of the party, was born in Baltimore, Md., September 1, 1845. At the age of twenty-one he became partner with his father, Eugene Levering, in the

coffee-importing firm of E. Levering & Co. Since the death of the senior partner, in 1870, his sons-Joshua and his twin-brother Eugene-have conducted the business under the same firm name. The firm is, and long has been, prosperous and respected.

Joshua Levering was a steadfast democratic voter till 1884, and then became an earnest member of the prohibition party. In 1887 and 1893 he was chairman of the Maryland prohibition convention; in 1888 and 1892 a delegate to the national convention of the partyon both occasions refusing to allow his name to be presented for the vice-presidential nomination, nevertheless receiving many votes in the convention of 1892. In 1891 he was the prohibition candidate for state controller. He has been a candidate for mayor of Baltimore; and in 1895 he ran for governor, and polled 7,700 votes, many more than had ever before been cast in Maryland for his party. He was author of the planks in the last national prohibition convention on the subjects of the tariff and currency.

The Levering brothers are well known as liberal givers to benevolent and religious causes. In 1894 they built at their own expense a Baptist church edifice at Curtis Bay; and at the session of the Southern Baptist convention at Atlanta, Ga., they made a gift of $10,000 to the missionary work of that denomination. In 1871, Joshua Levering entered the membership of the Eutaw Place Baptist church, and in 1881 became superintendent of its Sunday-school. He was one of the organizers of the American Baptist Education Society in 1888, which he has served ever since as treasurer. He has been for several years vice-president of the American Baptist Publication Society, and is now acting chairman of the board of trustees of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louisville, Ky. He was elected president of the Young Men's Christian Association of Baltimore in 1885, and has been annually re-elected by unanimous vote. He has held the presidency of the Maryland House of Refuge since 1887. He is one of the directors of the Provident Savings bank of Baltimore.

The many responsible positions of public trust in which Mr. Levering has been placed evince the confidence in his integrity and his capacity of those who have known him long and well.

He married, in 1892, Martha W., daughter of Charles M. Keyser: she is sister of his first wife, who died in 1888. He has three sons and four daughters.

Hale Johnson: Biographical Sketch.-Hale Johnson, vice-presidential candidate of the "sound-money "branch of the prohibition party, was born near New Richmond, Montgomery county, Ind., August 21, 1847. His education was in the common school, and in the acad emy in Ladoga, Ind. Until 1875 he was engaged in farming and in teaching school. He began lecturing at the age of sixteen. In 1875 he was admitted to the practice of law, which has since been his occupation, and in which he has gained success. He resided in Montgomery county, Ind., till 1865; afterward in Marion county, Ill., for ten years. Since 1877 his residence has been at Newton, Jasper county, Ill.

Mr. Johnson entered the army in May, 1864, before the age of seventeen; and went to the front, serving in the 135th Indiana volunteers. He is a past commander in the Grand Army of the Republic, and served two years as colonel of the Veteran Association of Jasper county, Ill.

After his removal to Illinois, he became prominent in republican politics, and in 1884 was a delegate to the republican convention in

« PreviousContinue »