The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-19
PUSHING THE FIGHT
AGAINST SALOONS
Statement Issued by the Anti,
Saloon League.
A FIGHT TO THE FINISH
Saloon the Worst Possible Solution
of Liquor Problem"
IT'S OPPosERs ONLY NEED LEADERS
Organization viii be Followed by Victory, De-
cares the Statement. Ringing Call to All
Who Oppose Liquor Traffic to
Unite Against II.


mittee of the Anti-Saloon League OF
North Carolina. Rev. A. j. McKelway,
of Charlotte, member of that COM
mittee, has prepared for the press of
the State a statement on the movement
against the saloons of this common
wealth recently inaugurated in Raleigh.
The statement by Mr.. McKelway fol-
lows:
THE NORTH CAROLINA ANTS A-
LOON MOVEMENT.
There met In Raleigh last week
small body of earnest, men. They had
been called together for the purpose of
devising measures for abolishing the
saloon A provisional organization was
effected a platform and constitution
adopted, plans were laid for an agrees
Sive and relentless fight against the sa-
loon, and arrangements made for the
calling of great representative con-
vention, which will be the final authori-
ty on all questions in connection with
the prosecution of the work to its con-
summation. namely, the wiping out of
the SAIGON ia INOTLu 1dIOliud- AhC
North Carolina Liquor Dealers Associa-
ton is hereby warned that it will be
opposed by an organization. the North
Carolina Anti Saloon League. In this
particular the children 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-saloon movement in this State a
score of years ago The cause, defeated
in the State through the unwisdom of its
friends and the unscrupuiousnes of it's
foes, has yet gone steadily forward, IN
local contests 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 sec
ond movement, wisdom and not fanati-
cism has taken the reins, and While the
Observation-Disclosures of bad business may
be expected to the FULL a large part of
the vote that whiskey invariably con-
trolled by natural sympathy and inward
assimilation has been eliminated. The
better class of negro voters can no Ion
And the continued education of the
white people, their progress in culture
and Christianity has already. as we
firmly believe, turned the minority into
n majority, a majority not only of num-
hers but of brains and capacity and
wealth and character. that has always
had its way. and in this instance and
for this cause Is only waiting leadership
to organize and organization to conquer
We call special attention to the plat
form and principles adopted. The foun-
dation principle Is that the saloon is the
worst possible solution of the liquor
problem, Is in fact no solution, is the
abject surrender of the fight for tenn
perance to the devil and the devils own.
present and prospective. There has
never been in the history the world
such combination of daily influences
as go to make up the Twentieth Cen
tury saloon. There does not exist any
where else in the world today such az
array of forbidden and abhorrent forces
as find free play In the American saloon.
Self-interest. the passion for money
making, the business energy that is
characteristic of Americans, devoted TO
attracting and holding customers, the
social instinct. 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 en-
couraging, and which once walked are
desperate in their grappling power over
the. victim If there was anything, once
upon a time, to add to the terrific
-
been long ago discovered and adopted.