The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-09-06
The Anti-Saloon League.

Ing.
Whenever any enterprising newspa-
per in Ohio starts some fake connected
with the Anti-Saloon League, we al
ways see a lot of other little papers
failing in and repeating the falsehood.
"Tbe Canton News was always a
prolific and versatile inventor of false
hoods about the Anti-Saloon League.
A short time since it started the story
that the League was promoting a
scheme to raise the Dow tax to $500,
and then make 1t a condition that in
case any dealer violated the Sunday
closing law, his license or right to con.
tinue in business should be revoked by
the auditor, and he should be further
deprived from entering into the busi-
ness in the state. The revoking of the
license was to be made mandatory up
on the auditor upon conviction.
1t will be seen that the fake was
worked out quite elaborately. The Can
ton News man also ran a parallel be-
tween this proposed Ohio legislation
and that in Pennsylvania regarding
liquor licenses. He then continued
as follows:
Another provision of the proposed
Ohio law is that there shall be no
back entrances, that the doors must be
upon public streets or alleys, and the
liquor must be drunk in the room
where it It drawn. This is aimed at
the dance halls, wine rooms and
saloons that serve liquors to restau-
rants or hotel dining rooms.
| Should this issue come up at an
election it will precipitate the biggest
fight that has been on between the two
clements for many years"
And now that the thing has been set
going, it is appearing in many places.
Five different newspapers in one bunch
came to us bearing it. Next there will
come an avalanche of indignant letters
to this Office, wanting to know what
in the world the Anti-Saloon League is
about; declaring we have broken the
Ten Commandments, smashed the New
| Testament betrayed the temperance
cause and gone over to the enemy. All
Of which can be charged up to the
cheerful and unanimous inventor up
at Canton.
"The League never has been and
never will be implicated in any tax
scheme of the sort. We are opposed to
tax, and for prohibition"
The News seeks no controversy with
the Anti-Saloon League, but since the
matter has come up it will state that
it still believes the allegations origin
ally made are substantially true.
1t is suspicion in the minds of
some observers that the Anti-Saloon
League works hand in glove with GER
tain liquor interests. The Brannock bill
for instance, indirectly the result of the
Anti-Saloon League efforts, is designed
to help the established saloons in the
heart Of city at the expense of their
isolated brethren. Saloons in the bus
iness portions of city cannot be in
terfered with. In showing the further
sympathy of interests in certain quar-
ters Canton furnishes an example. Ev-
cry election under the Brannock law in
this city has been planned and carried
out by the saloon interests. Not a
single saloon has been abolished. 1T
has been openly charged that the Can
ton Brewery Co., for one, has been back
of these elections and that districts
have been cut out so as to defeat the
real object of the bill. 1t is said that
cents per name is paid solicitors by
the liquor interests to prepare petitions,
and the Anti-Saloon League has gazed
pacifically at these movements. In order
to test the sincerity of the organiza-
tion certain parties recently made a
proposition that a district be created
which would embrace the dives along
SaXton street, an offer was made to pro-
vide funds to prepare the petition and
to conduct the election. Would the
Anti-Saloon League enthuse? Not a bit
of it. Incidentally it may be remarked
that powerful interests are virtually the
owners Of a lot of saloon dives that
might he affected by such an election.
Taking up the matter of the proposed
law mentioned in the Morning News,
why should the Anti-Saloon League
oppose a measure and get hot about it,
that proposes to stop Sunday selling,
close wine rooms and abolish back door
entrances? Just such inconsistencies 10
what troubles honest temperance adyo-
Gates.