Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-02-20


blese'd them
With baby hands hid In his hair.
Joaquin Miller.
THE STRIDESO OF TEMPERANCE.
( We take extracts from an instruc-
tive address delivered by Rev. Jas.
Cannon, ID. D., at the late Anti
Saloon Convention in Richmond on
"The Southern Field for the Anti
Saloon League"
/. What is the Anti-Saloon League
and what are its principles?
III. What is the Southern field for
the Anti-Ssloon LeagueP
The Anti-Ssloon League is an or
ganization of men and women of all
creeds and all parties, banded together
by the one great motto, "The Saloon
Must Col" To those who are
thoroughly familiar with the League
and its workings it seems strange
that its principles and methods
should be misunderstood. But when
it is remembered that the League in
this State is not yet two years old,
aud that there are thousands who
have never heard clear statement
of the facts in regard to it, we need
not be surprised that MANY who are
greatly opposed to the saloon still do
not unders tand the meaning of the
League. If | were obliged to select
one word to represent the idea of
this League, l should say ORGANIzA-
TON. The drankard-makers have
an organization in the State and in
the nation. The object of their or
ganization is to advance the interests
of the saloon, and its power is specially
directed to influence Legislative ac-
tion, from the Council of the smallest
town to the Congress at Washington.
The drunkard-makers have long
since realized that the ballot box is
the seat of power in this country,
and secure in the control of Councils
and Legislatures, have laughed to
scorn the resolutions aud protests of
moral and religious organizations and
have fed upon the life-blood of their
victims until they have become drunk
with power and have leered in the
faces of teacher and preacher, mother
and father, wives and children, aud
said with arrogant insolence: "What
are you going to do about itp"
rEAnN rCCnNy
Is it too much to say that the
drunkard-makers have taught us one
lesson? If the law of the land is
the protection of the drunkard-
makers and the seat of power is the
ballot-box, is not the hope of relief
to be found in the ballot box, and is
not the law to become our protection
against the saloonY The saloon fears
nothing but law and fears law at
only one time-when it is enforced.
If we would control legislation in
the future we must concentrate the
good morals of the various States at
the ballot-box in large enough num-
bers to defeat any public official who
betrays the public welfare by ailying
himself with the saloon, either by
voting for laws favorable to its
growth or by failing to enforce the
laws against them. Intelligence and
morality being the two corner.stones
of the temple of liberty, any institu-
tion or business which impairs or
destroys either of these is essentially
traitorous to the best interests of
American life. The saloon hinders
intelligence and destroys morals.
We demand, therefore, that the men
who manage political affairs shall
not manage them in the interests of
the saloon. But if our demand is to
be needed we must see to it that the
ballot-box clinches our demand by
the count of the vote. oe
"Now you are going to establish
political party" says the timid
brother. Mol That is just what the
League does not intend to do. The
aim of the League is-(1) To make
the League in every place the official
representative of the various denomi-
nations and of all temperance organ
izations and Of all individual tenn
perance adyocstes of all partiss in the
fight against the liquor traffic. (2)
To compel the regularly elected Of
fcers to see that the laws are en-
forced, rather than to take upon the
League itself the work of enforcing
the law. Men may differ in creed,
men may differ in politics, and yet
all may come together in any county
or city or State and demand of their
officers. whether Legislative or execu-
tive: "The saloon must go |" "The
law must be enforced ~
II. WHAT Is THE SOUTHERN FIELD,
AND WHAT ARE ITS CONDITIONS
The Southern field is generally
taken to include the States from
Maryland to Texas. / have endeav-
ored to gather from reports of SUPER
intendents, both State and National,
che latest data on the present condi-
ton Of the anti-saloon work in these
States. l am especially indebted to
the facts set forth BY Superintendent
Russell. in his address to the National
Convention. --.
ALABAMA-The method used in
Alabama is called "Local Prohi6i-
tion." These prohibitions" prevent
the sale of liquor within certain dis
tances from churches. schools, fac
tories, etc.. In LIZ counties there is
a local option law. Under the above
provision a majority of the counties
OF Alabama are entirely free from
saloons. x, 49,,
ARKANsAs-The law Of Arkansas