The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-22
SlL0OhAND NOT SPAIN
WORST FOE OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE, SAYS REV. H. HI.
RUSSELL
ANTI-sALooN EEAGUE RALLIES
Now That the Excitement of War
With q, Foreign Country Has d.
minished, the League Takes Adj
vantage of Its Opportunity to Be-
gin Anew the Fight Against In
tOxfcating Liquor.


Services wereohe1d yesterday in ten st.
Paul churches under the auspices Of the
| Anti-Saloon league, in observance OF
| Municipal Reform Sunday so consti-
| tuted by the league
| Rev. II. III. Russell national superin-
| tendent Of the league. spoke at several Of
| the meetings, and in the afternoon adj
dressed good-sized audience of young
men at the rooms of the st. Paul Y. M. c.
A. At each gathering cards were circu-
| lated for the enrolment of those inter-
ested In good municipal government. A
| directorate Is to be organized by the pas
tors to constitute st. Paul league.
| Mr.. Russell, In opening his address at
| the Y. M. G. A, asserted that 1t was fire.
| quently the apathy Of Christian people
| that seriously embarrassed the efforts
| Of the league workers to arouse COM
munities to the Importance of shaking off
the saloon influence and asserting what
every true American citizen should stand
for-good citizenship.
He urged civic righteousness and clean
politics. brought about only by the cleo
ton Of the best men to office, men who
would see that the law was vigorously
enforced without fear or favor, and better
laws made where they are needed. It was
not so much the lack Of good laws. he
said, but their non-enforcement that led
to the great municipal evil-the saloon.
He asserted that the league was in no
way partisan. Primarily its motive was
to secure the best government by the best
men.
The speaker told of the good results
obtaining from the work of the league
in Ohio, despite the fact that there was
discord as to the methods among mem
bers of the association and those inter-
ested in furthering the work The work
had been very successful, and the splen-
did results had drawn the hottest fire
| from the SaloonkeeperS and Liquor Deal
| ers' association. who were branded as
| anything but virtuous. Very successful
work had also been accomplished in sew
| eral other states The league was just
| two years old in Minnesota. The excite
ment OF the times caused by the Spanish
| American war, had temporarily diverted
| the minds Of the people from the crusade
| of the league, but 1t was the intention of
| the officers, assisted by every, church in
| the state. to begin anew the fight against
| the saloon.
| Mr.. Russell urged organization as the
| only means Of accomplishing good results,
| Without unity Of action, nothing what
| ever could be done. as they had for an
| opponent an element that was thorough
| ly organized. He believed that the best
| method was to appoint the pastor of each
| church as a director in the local league,
and have several members from each
serve with him on the board.
| This board Of directors should appoint
| subcommittee to look after the several
| branches of the league work, and the
| board would act as g. sort of advisory
! organization, or committee Of the whole.
| Public sentiment must be aroused to a
| realization of the necessity of roofing
| out the saloon, and at least to compeIl-
| ing a strict observance of the laws reg
| ulating the saloon In the country the
| league has accomplished a great deal.
| Over forty towns during the spring of
| 1899 voted no license that had previously
| voted for lieense,i and on the other hand,
| the instance was rare where towns having
! no saloons voted for q high license. The
| league had Mr.. Russell explained,
| through It's committee, worked hard in
the legislature for the passage Of curative
acts, and met with very fair success.
| The "hired agent of the saloonists also
appeared before the legislature, and was
| forced to admit that no bills favorable to
| their trade had been passed.
| The speaker depicted the sorrow and
| gloom that entered many homes every
| year through the curse of strong drink,
| and Of men whose whole future was
| ruined by the communicating influence
| of the saloon. He presented statistics Of
! the number who. suffered annually, and
| of the death rate, for drunkenness, as
| well as figures upon the amount spent an
| nually by the American people for in
| toxicants. -