Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-03-20
OPTION BILL HELP
Anti Saloon League Workers
Speak in Rock island and
Moline Churches.
PRESSURE ON LEGISLATURE
say If Measure Goes to License Com.
mittee II Will Never Be
Reported.

Yesterday in Rock Island and Moline
churches was observed Anti-Saloon
! league day, and representatives of this
organization spent the day in the two
cities, occupying the pulpits of the
churches.
The work of the league was explain
ed in detail. both its organization and
| its aims. The efforts of the league
have been somewhat successful. but
| there is still a great deal to do, and it
| is in the interest of this work that the
representatives are sent to the differ
ent cities of the state, as they were to
! Rock Island yesterday. Throughout
the entire year the league has a band
of workers in one or more of the cities
each Sunday. The object is to create
sentiment in favor of the leagues
work.
License Committee Scored.
The meetings here yesterday were
| timely. as the local option bill is soon
to be acted on by the legislature. 1t
was explained that the big fight on in
the Legislature at present is as to which
committee the local option bill is refer
red. 1t is contended by the Anti-Sa-
loon league representatives that if the
bill is referred to the license committee
it will never be given fair attention.
1t is claimed that the chairman of
this committee was placed there by the
saloon interests. and would do all in
his power to kill the bill if referred to
his committee. II is for this reason
that the league and those interested in
the bill are working hard to see that
the bill goes to the elections commit
tee, and does not fall into the hands
of the license committee. The cleo
tions committee is believed to be fair
committee, and the league representa-
tives are satisfied that their measure
would receive fair treatment from the
members of that committee.
Asks Local Influence.
r. o. Everhart, manager of the
leagues Legislation bureau at Spring
field. in speaking of the condition of
affairs pertaining to legislation, ex-
planned the fight on the reference of
the bill. and. continuing, said: Now is
the time when we must work if any
thing is to be accomplished with the
present legislature. In a few weeks
the appropriation bills will come up for
consideration. and it will be impossible
to secure any attention for the local
option bill when once these measures
are taken up" He urged that all local
influence he brought TO bear to secure
the reference of the bill to the elections
committee
Churches Addressed.
The assignments made in the local
churches were as follows:
Forenoon. F. Burke. First Method
list church. Rock Island; E L. Nc
Laughlin. First Congregational church.
Moline; r. o. Everhart, Broadway
Presbyterian, Rock Island; John
Wright. First Baptist. Rock Island; f.
II. Curtis, First Methodist church, Mo-
line; j. c. Bentall. Swedish Baptist. Mo-
line: r. c. Mcdonald. First Baptist.
Moline; Claude Ewing, Central Pres
byterian, Rock Island.
Afternoon-J. F. Burke and E. E.
Mclaughlin. Moline Y. NJ c. A; r. o.
Everhart and r. c. Mcdonald, Rock
Island Y. NJ. c. A.
Evening". F. Burke, Second Con
gregational church. Moline: E. Z. Nc
Laughlin. Swedish Lutheran, Moline:
x. o. Everhart, United Presbyterian,
Moline; John Wright, Second Method
list church. Moline; E H. Curtis, Memo
rial Christian. Rock Island; ]. o. Ben
tail, Spencer Methodist. Rock Island
r. c. Mcdonald, United Presbyterian,
Rock Island: Claude Ewing, Milan.
One of the most interesting meet
ings of the day was that at the Moline
Y. NJ. c. A. held in the Industrial
home in that city. There were over
three hundred men present. Address
es were made by J. F. Burke. the gen
eral attorney of the league, and by E
L. Mclaughlin. At the Rock Island
y. Nj. c. a. 4 company of 75 men gath
cred TO hear Mr.. Everhart's address
A cornet solo was rendered by Miss