Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-08
ANTI SALOON CONVENTION
Meeting Of National League to Be Held IN
Columbus, Ohio.
Nfnety-Six Bodies Represented in
Fedcratton-Interde
and Includes All Parties.

tlona1 Antf-Saloon convention, to be held
at Columbus. Ohio January II to 10: This
is the annual meeting Of the American
Anti-Saloon League, which was organized
In this city December 10, 1896 The league
is interdenominational and Of all parties.
1t is a national federation of anti-saIoon
forces and includes at the present time
96 bcdies-22 national. 20 state and AZ other
organizations of American citizens The
national bodies are as follows: Brotherhood
of Andrew and Philip Fed counciD, Chris
tan denomination. Congressional Temper
ance Society, Councils for Suppression of
Saloon Com. on EXIT, the Epworth
League. Epworth Leagues of the M. p.
church South, the Kelley League ina
tlonaD, Woman's Kelley League, keystone
a league OF Christian Endeavor. General
synod Evangelical Lutheran Church. Meth
odist Episcopal Church permanent Conn.,.
Methodist Protestant c. E. Union. Ma
tional Gospel Mission Union, Non-partisan
M N W. c. T. T.. PRESBYTERIAN Church
OF North America. I. o. Of R. (Saford
Unity, National Division. Sons of Temper
ance, supreme Council T. of H. and T.,
T. CONF. United States Christian Commits
sion. Universalist General Convention. Ma
tional Woman's Christian Temperance
Union.
The National Officers.
The present national officers are: Hiram
1->N "a AO"o, pi eSlucIt, rev. L.. b. VIII
son, DID,. of Washington, D. c., first vice
president; Most Rev. John Ireland DID,,
LID, OF Minnesota, second vice president:
Rev. Jno. ]. Beacon, DID,, of Pennsyl-
vania. third vice president; Rev. Howard
H. Russell LID, of Ohio, superintendent;
Mr.. Jas. L. Ewin of Washington d. c.,
secretary, and Mr.. John w. Cummings of
New York city, treasurer
The national executive committee is
composed of the above officers and eight
additional members, who are Rev. Alpha
}. kynett, DID, LID, of Philadelphia
Pa; Mrs. Annie Wittenmyer of Saratoga,
Pa; Mrs. Margaret b. Plat of Washing
ton, D. c.; Rev. H. Allen Upper, jr, DID,
OF Baltimore Md; Rev. Edwin C. Dinwid-
die of Harrisburg. Pa: Rev. Francis NJ.
Edwards of South Boston. Va; Rev. w.
G. Alexander. DID,, of Atlanta, Ca, and
Mr. F. NJ. Bradley of Washington, D. c.
Inc national board Of direction Is COM
posed of a representative from each of
the AFFILIATED bodies, and consequently has
at present ninety-six members with Rev
DR.. Kynett of the executive committee as
chairman and Rev. Joseph H. James of
Rockville. Conn, secretary
~ vote OF the last convention, which was
held in this city December $40, so, the
approaching convention Is to be devoted
mainly to discussions of practical methods
OF anti-saloon work. and the program ac-
cord1ngiy includes reports from the vari-
Gus state anti-saloon leagues and kindred
state bodies already in existence These
g
trict of Columbia. the State Temperance
League of Maryland and others similar,
numbering about twenty
Ohio State League.
The Ohio A. S. L., which is one of the
most thoroughly organized state leagues
and has furnished the national superinten-
dent and superintendent for other states
VIII hold its state convention the same
Gays as the national convention. and the
evening sessions which will be in the ma
lure or platform meetings, WILL it is ex-
Tected, be common to both bodies The
program for the first evening includes adj
dresses of welcome by various Ohio lead
ers a, response by Rev. L. b. Wilson, DID,
first vice president of the American A. s.
L., and popular address by Eli Ritter of
Indiana, the well-known temperance law
yer. Preceding this there is to be a meet
ing OF the executive committee of the
American A. S. L., at 3 p.m Tuesday. in
the Park Hotel. which adjoins the Park
Ring Auditorium, where the national con-
vention will meet. The first business ses-
sion of the national convention will he held
Wednesday morning
1t is not expected that any important
new departures will be made at this con-
vention. The league started out two years
ago to thoroughly organize the country
and this immense undertaking has not vet
progressed far enough to render new work
probable at this time. Superintendent Rus
sell severed his connection with the Ohio
1,
confine himself to his work as national SUI
perlntendent the coming year, and in this
way to make much more rapid progress
than heretofore.
There will ne eight or ten state Iea p,,ac
represented at the convention against six
in 1896. and only two District of Columbia
and Ohio in 1895.
Origin of the Organization.
The immediate efforts which resulted in
the organization of the American Anti
Saloon League originated with a CONVEX
sation between Archbishop Ireland of the
Roman Catholic Church and Rev. DR.. XIV
nett chairman of the committee on tenn
perance and prohibition of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. Happening to be trav.
cling together from Chicago to PhiIadeI-
phia, they naturally conversed about tenn
perance and the suppression of the drink
uafnc. They agreed that a platform on
which all opponents of the saloon could
stand for united aggressive work was
practicable and very desirable. Suisse
duent!y Dr. kynett, while travelling and
Luther B. Wilson. D. D., then president
OF the Anti-Saloon League of the District
OF Columbia, was informed by Dr. Wilson
OF the , large degree of success the Dis
met with In bringing together represen.
tatives of different denominations and
OF all political parties, Catholic as well as
Protestant, and both white and colored
as delegates from the churches, temper
ance societies and other organizations op-
posed to the drink saloon; and Dr. Kynett
suggested that the District of Columbia
League take the initiative in securing a
conference of leaders preliminary to a
national anti-saloon convention. This con-
versation took place in the spring of 1885
The executive committee of the District
OF Columbia League, before whom the sug-
gestion was laid. promptly undertook the
work, and issued invitations for a confer
ence to meet at Washington, D. c., the
last three days of May. 1895. From the
responses 1t soon became evident that a
number of prominent speakers and writer's
could not attend at that time owing to
previous engagements elsewhere. There
upon the conference was recalled and the
committee in charge undertook to settle
the Dreliminaries of 4 national conyen-
ton by correspondence, If possible. Hav-
1hg received what were considered a suf-
hcient number of signatures, call for
Il delegated national convention was given
to the Associated Press and the United
Press the evening of October IS, 1885, and
mailed forthwith to the heads of national
and state organizations and to leaders
In the various religious denominations
The convention assembled in Calvary Bap-
fist Sunday School House, Washington D.
c., Tuesday, December II, 1895, with Rev
L. b. Wilson d. D., as temporary chair
man. The American Anti-Saloon League
was organized in the same place by the
delegates present the next day, with forty