The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-01
WILL COME
TO VIRGINIA.
DR.. Moorelto Become Head Of
Anti-Saloon League.
PURPOSE OF THE LEAGUE
.ltisFully Set Forth In a Statement lssu'
ed BY the Executive Committee.
Not FOR Total Alb
stInence.

M eGF SNOt r.. VOilt f.t Oldl wy ~ aSts l3f 3h
7 stlnence. ~
Dr.. Gordon B. Moore, Of F'urman Uni
vcrslty, has accepted the position OF gu
perlntendent OF the Anti Saloon Leag ue,
to which he was elected on wednesday,
last. VA @
THE POLICY QT 7, The nI17a ,ANTl-sAhooN
In introducing to the people Of Viz
ginla. Dr.. Gordon B. Moore as spotes-
man for the Anti-saloon League, tho
Executive Committee tako this opportu-
nifty TO state again the scope Of the
leagues purposes and tho methods by
which It is proposed to carry them out,
NOT A CAMPAIGN OF DENUNcll4As-
n TON. # #
First, let It be said that the league
IL not set for the abuse Of tho men who
are engaged In the liquor traffic. Many
! OF these men we know and are glnd to
call them friends. Some of them began
the liquor business years ago, when the IN,
! 5odium now attaching to 1t did not exist.
This being so, wholesale denuncie ton OF
s, i, mon mon for not having anticipated the
moral advance Of the public mind as to
the liquor traffic would be manlfcstly
tun fair, We wish to reason With ITEM
rather than to denounce them snch
course, as many instances testify, Eas
brought the liquor dealers themselves ,,l V
| tion9 election or to withdraw voluntarily
| from the business. Where this occurs,
! It means more than O victory It is .d's-
| covering friend In O. SUPPOSED roe. Iley
| happen to have put their money anu
| energy into a business which an W. s.'
| ~ pccton t.
| dennis. 3 -, :, II Sss
5rrhe Anti Saloon League is neither a po-
|3luical party nor total abstinence socle-
WV lille It identifies itself with u no
.,,,it,cal party,3lt does seek to induce
e,l.l, person to do what he can to Pre- ~:
mote the cause Of Temperance IN 3 us
Inter. church. 1t believes that patriotic
nlnn in al, the parties exerting them
| selves in concert on this issue ca 90
what perhaps ia impossible fUl I, se e1
| rate party to accomplish. The Anu =
loon League is entirely distinct from the
p'oh.h:tion party, however much we as
|Tindivlduals may respect the conYict y i
sc members Of that political party It Is
l8nct pult es, but mon, that the League
seeks to influence. Our objective IS
| public opinion, which lies behind par
| ties. The issue within the ypurvieW OF tho
L
saloon as an Institution. A leading edi-
tor in this State recently remarked that
| TIL, saloun Is nlne-tenths OF the evil OF
tho liouor traffic. That remark singles
out antly the work Of tho Anti-saloon
League 5sS AZ
not primarily legislative. Itsdoes not wish
to frame nor force bills In the General
Assembly. If members Of that body do
Of tllcir own accord bring forward Aneas-
ures relating to temperance. the League
cels Gers 1t within its province to voice
as to that particular bill. In these In
stnntra the pressure. II such there ae
Is that Of the people rather than the
League IT IL in this regard only a ve.6
hlcle for the expression of public opinion
upon temperance matters. Rightly would
tho Legislature resent dictation by any
organization. no matter how patriotic. II
is, however, beloved that no legsla-
tor Is everse to knowing what the poo
Pile think about every measure upon
which he IS called to vote. The vested
interests OF tho liquor traffic have long,
contrived to gag public opinion as to tenn
perance matters. Hence the need haA
arisen for an organization to give full
force to the popular will In regard to the
saloon. 55t&
NOT TOTAL ABSTINENCE.
The Antl-Saloon League does not deal
with the subject Of total abstinence. be-
lieving that such phases of the temper
anco question can be best handled by the |
various churches, While dlscaiming any
attempt to Interfere with tho personal
liberty of any man, the league insists
that the saloon as a legalized institu-
ton Is a social menace; that 1t breeds
crime; that 1t Is a source Of political cor
ruption; thataity tends to undermine the
home the school and all industries. and |
that no citizens liberty Is restricted when
such fragrant form Of temptation Is
removed from the thoroughfare. The
saloon has taken refuge under the sover-
eighty OF the State OF Virginia, From
this shelter tho league seeks to dlslodge
It, KS I'll G5g
CONSERVATIVE TO THE CORE
The Anti-Saloon League Is defined by |
two words-unlty and sanity. 1t seeks to
unite all people who favor temperance
reform upon conservative, safe and
feasible plan OF action, 1t abhors fanRt-
icism. The league is tho clearing house
OF all temperance agencies. bo..4 civic and
Christian. It desires to eliminate their
differences and unite their Identities into
a cable OF enduring strength. The league
does not undertake to enforce laws. but
It strives to create sentiment that will
back up officers in enforcing the laws.
RATHER THAN AG1TA-
TION,
no short cut to reform. 1t recognizes that I
the saloon Is deeply Embedded In the eco
nomic, social and political habit Of our
people, and that 1t can be rooted out only
by slowly working a change In that hab-
1t. The hope of final success In this.
as In all proper movements. is based upon
an appeal to the public conscience, While Y
legislation can do much, It cannot do all.
AS Woodrow Wilson says: Law grows
with the growth OF the community. 1t
cannot outrun tho conscience of tho COM
munity and be real; 1t cannot outlast Its
judgments and retain Its force. It mir
rors social advances, II 1t anticipate the
of the public thought. 1t
must walt until the common Judgment
and conscience grow up to Its standards
before 1t can have llfei II 1t lag behind
Tho common Judgment and conscience. 1t
must become obsolete." In these Just
sentences will be found the reason for
Tho existence OF the Anti-saloon League
ana also the statement OF Its rightful
ia 10