The Indianapolis journal., 1899-01-17

ever was disguised in a Valparaiso saloon.
Nor was any question asked any minor as
to age in any one OF the twenty cases IN
loon case which was tried before a justice
the defendant was found guilty on four
counts of the Indictment. Moreover, it is
not true that during the trial of the drug
glst Judge Gillett took occasion to denounce
the method employed by the league in Sc
curing evidence. he did not say that it
had a tendency to degrade the law. The
evidence had been submitted to the jury
and the prosecutor had asked that he might
nave some information concerning what the
instructions would be to the court The
jury was instructed to retire and after 1t
had gone out the lawyers and court fell
into discussion concerning the case, when
the defendants lawyer said to the court,
But you do not mean to say that you will
instruct the jury to find the defendant gull
ty.' The court replied that he should in
struct the jury that they might, if they saw
ut, disregard the instructions of the court.
lie dld NOT want TO be understood as saying
that he fully sympathZed with the methods
of procuring evidence. He did not say he
did not sympathize with these methods He
did not say that these methods had ten
dency TO degrade the law"
Your informant takes occasion to slur
those who have had charge of the move
ment by citing other ministers names. 1t is
true that Rev. j. l.. Brandt. of the Chris
tian Church of our city. did not unite in the
union meeting addressed by Rev. II. II.
Russell. This was because only a short
time before we had had a union meeting of
all the churches in the interest of the Anti
members of his church, which is a very
large church of 800 members did not feel
that it was right to surrender their even
ing service for any cause. 1t was not be-
cause either Mr.. Brandt or his official board
disapproved of the reform work. Not one
word was said in either of our city papers
on the Saturday evening preceding the serv-
ice in Mr.. BrandtS notices about 'disap-
proving of the work of the league" 1t is
true that Mr. Brandt has done all that he
could in quiet way in the interest of our
reform work.
The statements accredited to the Rev
]. B. Fleming, pastor of the Presbyterian
Church, are of an equally misleading char
acter. In the morning service of that Sab
bath he did not "denounce the methods of
the league in measured terms. He did not
say he did not approve of the manner in
which it was conducted, and would have
nothing to do with it, What he did say
was this: Il have no special enthusiasm in
this union service, but | do have an inter-
est in the Anti-Saloon League l am inter-
ested in any honest and honorable effort
to suppress lawlessness in our community,
but would not resort to a dishonorabie
or unjust method, even to beat the devil.
Any good man would echo his sentiments;
no dishonorable or unjust methods were
used.
The correspondent also misrepresents the
relation of a certain Frank Smith TO the
Anti-Saloon League. 1t is not true that he
has been acting as a private detective for the
league, or that he was even member of
self and Or. Tucker. who were members OF
the league. 1t is not true that by associat-
ing with the reformers he secured a posi-
ton in a hardware store l trust you will
publish these statements in the interest OF
truth and justice. | have set forth the facts
they occurred in our work In this city.
w. E. STORY,
Pastor Baptist Church. and First Vice
President of the Anti-Saloon League of
Valparaiso.
Y 1lna raisO Ind Ian. IA