The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-10-19
The Anti Saloon League.

Rev. S E. Nicholson delivered very
strong speech in the M. E. church on last
Friday night in the interest of the Anti
Saloon League movement, which he said
has been established in upwards of thirty
States. 1t is evident that something more
effective than the Prohibition party must
be organized to combat the saloon or the
liquor power, hand in hand with the
money power, will rule with despotic
sway the whole land.
The liquor power like the money power
has no political party which it calls its
own, but makes use of every party it can
corrupt. In having political party ex-
clusively its own with the paraphernalia
of tickets, ETC., is the rock on which the
prohibition movement has been dashed
and well nigh wrecked. A few are stick
ing to the craft and with frantic efforts
trying to get the stranded craft to float,
but it is clearly hopeless effort, and a
waste of strength by noble self-sacri-
ficing band.
The plan of the anti-saloon league is a
return to the old temperance pledge
method, altered and improved by the
experience of half century. The old
pledge method bound the signer to abstain
from drinking Intoxicating liquors and to
exert all his or her moral influence to in
duce others to do likewise. The Anti
Saloon League method works by moral
suasion also, as the old total abstinence,
or teetotal pledge societies worked, but in
place of binding its members to the single
line of self-abstinence, rather directs them
to use both moral and political effort
against the saloon liquor traffic. The
Anti Saloon League is an organized effort
to beat at the primary meetings and al
the polls every candidate who in any way
is inclined to aid the saloon in its efforts
to secure the enactment of laws to sup
port it and the repeal of all prohibition OF
local option laws on the statute books.
The method adopted by the Anti-Saloon
League is the same in practice but the
reverse in object adopted by the liquor
party years ago, and which has met with
such marvellous success. The liquor party
commenced their war against the tenn
perance movement by forming non
partisan leagues. They threw their solit
vote against every candidate who favored
the temperance movement. regardless O.
party. Their influence on elections soor
began to tell in favor of liquor. candi
dates were intimidated, when they found
the liquor element of all parties wa:
thrown against the temperance candidate
and given the candidate whom they hat
pledged in the interest of the saloon. The
leagued hosts Of the saloon soon grew Sc
: strong and their vote SO intimidating tina
not only individual candidates but parties
began to fear their power. The liquo
element, emboldened by success, has gone
on from victory to victory till they have
gained complete mastery of the old polit
ical parties. The Republican party.
boast for long time was that it was G
temperance party but it had finally tc
surrender and is now begging on its knee.
for the liquor vote
/ The Anti.Saloon League is organizing
against the saloon to aid in the noniina
ton of candidates pledged in opposition
to the saloon, and to stand behind then
at the polls irrespective Of party. The
liquor men have been wonderfully sue
cessful by this method, adopting ani
sticking to it. 1t is reported they have &
national fund of $50, ooo,o 900.
| The friends of good government, gooc
morals and temperance can gain equa
success and overthrow the saloon by {
solid combination against it.