The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-22
THE ANTI-SALOON WORK
is DESCRIBED At THE FOURTH
CHRISTIAN By REV. w. c. HELT.
The President of the League Tells of
the Work That Has Been Ac-
complished.

The Fourth Christian Church was crowd
which gave an eager ear to a typical tenn
perance sermon delivered by Rev. w. c.
Helt, president of the Anti-saloon League
of Indiana. President Helt began by re-
viewing the work accomplished by the
league in this State within the last year
He said he first came among the people
of this State a little over year ago. and
found himself in land of strangers. Since
that time he was glad TO say that the
league had made great strides in the right
direction.
Within the last year the league had pub
lished over a million pages or literature
and he himself had addressed over one
hundred thousand people in the interest
of the cause. Another great evidence of the
progress made was the fact that within the
last six months decisions had been given
by no less than six Circuit Courts within
the State which meant much for the cause
of. the temperance people He said he re-
ferred to the right granted by the courts
to individuals to give their powers of at
torney to others to sign circumstances
Mr.. Helt then went on to say that however
much good had been done the fact still
remained that there was lamentable lack
of enthusiasm on the part of many who
ought to lend all the aid possible to the
league. He said the thing for the temper
ance people 10 do was to organize, for
unless they worked in accord, little, if any
good. would ever be accomplished. He said
the temperance people must get into the
political arena, and do all they could to elect
the best man. " tbs true" said he, that
We didn't have any chance last fall. for
the candidates for mayor in this city were
just alike, and we didn't feel like voting
for either of them, but If We make a be-
ginning somewhere we are sure to come
out all right in time
SHOULD BE NONPARTISAN.
He said the anti-saloon people should be
nonpartisan, and when the time came they
should cast their votes for the man who
was not allied with the saloon element.
Said he: I'VE have been pressing Gov
ernor Mount to call for the resignation of
the Police -,oard at Elwood until we have
him at the very parting of the ways. and
can only hope that he Will decide for the
right of Christian manhood. If he does not
do this, and If President Mckinley does not
crush the canteen system, they may ex-
pect us to be against them. for we cannot
support such men,
He said the temperance people were or
ganizing all over the State, and in Terre
Haute, the political parties We're even
~ divided that the little band of five
hundred temperance people practically held
the balance of power.
President Helt SAID he did not believe
the time would ever come when all of the
temperance people would be in one party
and If they ever expected to unite it must
be outside of party lines. He said the fight
with a local man, who had been compelled
to forsake his saloon because it had been
declared nuisance, proved conclusively
that the Anti-salocn League improving
its opportunities, and he said since one sa-
loon had been proven a nuisance, he didn't
see why the same rule wouldn't hold good
with regard to others.
He then referred 40 the fact that the sa-
loon keepers were not alone to blame for
the many who lost themselves i'm drink
and related a number of instances where
the first glass of wine had been offered
and accepted in some of the mansions of
the rich, who dwelt in happy oblivion of
the harm they had done in the aristo-
cratic portion of the capitai city.