The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-03-11
THE NORTH CAROLINA ANTI-sALO0N
MOVRMENF.


So .H
Oorrsspondance OF The progressive Farmer.
There met in Raleigh two weeks
ago a small body of earnest men.
They had been called together for
the purpose of devising measures for
sbolishing the saloon, A provisional
organization was effected, platform.
and constitution adopted, plans were
laid for an aggressive and relentless
fight against the saloon, and arrange
ments made for the calling Of . great
representative convention, which
will be the final authority on all
questions in connection with the
prosecution of the work TO it's CON-
summation, namely, the wiping out
of the saloon in North Carolina. The
North Carolina Liquor Dealers As
ISOLATION Is hereby warned that it
will be opposed by an organization,
The North Carolina Anti Saloon
League. In this particular the ohil-
dren of light will emulate in their
generation the wisdom of the other
kind.
Times have changed since the over.
whelming defeat of the last general
anti-ssloon movement in this State a
SCORE of years ago. The cause, de
feated in the State through the un
wisdom of its friends and the IN
scrupulousness of it's foes, has yet
gone steadily forward, in local CON
tests in our towns and counties, until
the saloon has been banished from
half the counties of North Carolina.
In many other counties the saloon
exists only in one incorporated town.
And now with the Inauguration of
this second movement, wisdom and
not fanatioism has taken the reins,
and while the unscrupulousness of a
bad business may be expected 60 the
full, q large part of the vote that
whiskey invariably controlled by
natural sympathy and inward assimi-
lstion, has been eliminated. The
better GLASS of negro votes can NJ
longer be depended upon by the
saloon. And the continued educa-
ton of the white people, their prog
ress in culture and Christie nifty, has
already, as we firmly believe, turned
the minority into a majority, a ma
jority not only Of numbers, but of
brains and capacity and wealth and
that has always had it's
way, and in this instance and for
this cause is only waiting leadership
30 organize and organization 80 con
quer. We call special attention to
the platform and principles adopted.
The foundation principle is that the
saloon is the worst possible solution
of the liquor problem, is in fact no
solution, is the sbjeot surrender of
the fight for temperance TO the devil
and the DEVILS own, present and
prospective. There has never been
in the history of the world such a
combination of deadly influences as
go TO make up the twentieth century
saloon. There does not exist any
where else in the world TO day such
an array of forbidden and abhorrent
forces as find free play in the Ameri.
can saloon. Self -interest, the passion
for money-makinR, the business
energy that is characteristic of
Americans, devoted TO attracting
and holding customers, the social in,
Stinct, the notorious alliance between
the saloon and the brothel and the
gambling den, are all combined for
the devilish task of exciting passions
that need restraining rather than
encouraging, and which once walked
are desperate in their graphing
power and the victim. If there vas
anything, once upon a time, TO add
20 the terrific tempting power of the
saloon, it has been long ago discoV-
cred and adopted. As a completed
and perfected institution, adapted
With absolute precision TO it's task,
the saloon is a work of genius and
srE. We challenge any ans wer TO
the proposition that the saloon can
not be improved upon as an engine
for creating and perpetuating the
drink habit, and stimulating all the
lower passions. Il is a perfect
dcQnkard factory, with harIotry
and gambling annexes. Moreover,
through the natural law of self pres.
ervation, through it's conspicuous
Place in the business world, through
She social instinct encouraging asso-