St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-04-17
Anti-Saloon League.

{ the traffic in Intoxicating liquors in We
mont must show themselves ia open d,
> termined fight against the saloon, or W
Il may lament when it is too late. Th
= Anti-Saloon League, as its name sign
ties, is opposed to the saloon and all it
associated evils and is prepared to Civ
battle through and by the friends O
temperance and prohibition in the state
to those who would repeal the prohibi
tory law and establish license law.
Many local organizations are ALREADY
effected in the state and there ought tt
be local league in every town in tn,
state, Are there not 10 men in eacl
town who will call for a state organizer
and with his association begin opera
tons as local force to combat the des
tructive sentiment for license? The
Anti.Saloon League does not exact a
total abstinence pledge as condition oil
membership. If men are opposed to the
open saloon they belong with the forces
Of the league and ought to enroll them
selves against the license movement.
The first thing for every opponent of the
saloon in the state to do is to ally him
self with the Vermont \ li-Saloon
League. But some may ask what good
will this do? What has the Anti.Salo on
League done for the cause of temperance
in Vermont. Read while we report to
you the successes and triumphs of the
league. The league is omnipartisan,
men of all parties who are opposed to
the open saloon in Vermont should be
allied with this league; the league is in.
terdenomnational; i. e., it is not confined
to any church, but men of all churches
and men of no church whether total
abstalners or not total abstainers, if Cd
posed to the American saloon should
ally themselves at once with the Anti.
Saloon League,
We propose to keep up constant agi-
tation on this question, which means
education and education means the
annihilation OF the saloon. The league in
its agitation work in 1900 had 20 differ.
ent men speaking from time to time in
its educational work; 275 churches
were opened to the speakers, and 800 ad-
dresses were given which were listened
to with interest by $4,000 people. A
quarter OF million copies of literature
were printed for free distribution and
10000 copies of the periodical "The
American Issue" were paid for by the
league and sent to 800 subscribers. An
anti-saloon column OF matter was run
in several of the state papers for some
weeks. In the legislative work the state
league kept superintendent at the legis.
lature for two months during the SEES
sion and he was reinforced by staunch
temperance helpers coming from nearly
every county OF the state, the license bill
was defeated and eight different bills
introduced to make the prohibitory law
ineffective were defeated that not a com
ma OF the law was changed
One state paper referring to the Anti
Saloon League at the session character
lied it as 1.-THE organization which ipsti-
tuted the most complete and effective
Vermont lobby in the history of the last
decade" 1t was simply the church re-
presented at the legislature of the state
and the church is entitled to such re-
presentation.
In the law enforcement work the state
league claims much advancement has
been made. A better sentiment prevails
relative to the enforcement of the law.
More people are willing to sign com
plants, more people are on the lookout
for evidence and willing to give it in
court, more people attend the trials in
the courts and thus give their moral sup
port to the officers OF the law. In one
county, at one term of county court "a |
men were convicted in liquor cases and |
10 of the respondents were sent to the |
Rutland work-house. One of the county |
grand jury indicted every man who had
paid the government liquor tax to sell |
rum in Vermont. One county chancel-
lor granted some 40 injunctions agains.
buildings occupied by violators of the
prohibitory law. One man violated the
injunction and was fined $500 and some
months al the county Jail. Another
injunction was violated and the respond
ent was fined $1,000 and sent to the
House OF Correction for six months
After this mans conviction an imported
barkeeper tor hum sold rum Just "a
hours and was caught and fined $500
In lS99-19OO there were GIG federal
licenses taken out in the state. The
league took up the fight along this
line and this year 1900 1901 there are
446.
In Burlington, the headquarters of the
league last year, there were 6S federal
liquor licenses. This year there are but
%. In seven weeks, beginning Feb. l,
the state speakers have held IS apita
ton meetings and given SO addresses.
speaking to 1900 people, and in the same
time distributed 10000 copies of litera.
ture. One order was placed March 8th
tor 100 900 leaflets for free distribution.
Sunday, March H. was a red letter day
TOR the league and anti.saloon Sunday in
Island Pond, East Charleston, West
Charleston, Arlington, Sandgate, STAN
iord, North Bennington and Bennington.
len different speakers spoke under the
direction OF the state league that day
and four men the Sunday following spoke
at W1lliamstown, Waterbury, WalGng.
ford, Stowe and Montpelier.
The league proposes to keep up this
educational work constantly through.
out the state and its friends are legion
GEORGE W. MORROW, Supt..
Burlington, Vt, April 12 1901.
To Mothers in This Town.