The public weal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1906-1908, 1906-08-01

years ago Dy CHe OCdIe AIoAlpiIloh
Committee as a standard plan OF cam
paign is one which appeals to prac-
tical voters. The law which gives the
saloon the same protection as legiti-
mate business is wrong. The law that
gives an institution the right to de-
stroy the creative power of manhood,
the honor of the citizen and the integ-
rity of the individual is out of har-
mony with the constitution of the
United States and of every state in
the Union.
1t ought to be changed.
Change the Legislature.
It would be very comforting, indeed,
if we could change laws by singing
songs, offering prayers and weeping
over the unhappy end of the drunkard
and his family; but, in point of fact,
laws must be changed by legislatures.
If we want to change the law we will
have to change the legislature. The
Republicans have controlled the legis-
lature of this state for third of
century and have used their law-mak-
ing power to protect the saloon. That
leads to the demand for a brand of
legislators who stand for the repeal
of the license laws and the enactment
of prohibitory statutes. That brings
us down to the burly business of poll
tics and it enfilades our fire on that
one point of the enemy's column
where the lawmakers march.
The Spark of Hope.
But the Republican party in this
state has enormous prestige and pow
er. We must overcome that, and we
must overcome it by inspiring the
heart of the hater of the saloon with
the hope that the Prohibition party
can get over the breastworks. The
agencies for accomplishing these ends,
roughly speaking, are three; -political
meetings to arouse the latent senti-
ment, face to face contact with the
voter and funds to pay the bills.
The Prohibition party has always
been able to make more speeches and
better than any other political organi-
zation. And for years it has been rea-
sonably successful in inducing the peo-
pie to part with their money that the
conflict may rage on, but until re-
cent years the business of hand-to
hand campaigning has been all but
unknown in our ranks. The matter
of speeches and money, therefore,
with which we are familiar, may be
neglected by this article and atten-
ton paid only to the business of per-
sonal contact with the man who hates
the saloon and votes for it.
A saIoon-Hater Without Hope.
The first thing is for us to grasp
the truth that the man who claims
hostility to the saloon and still gives
IT. %1 ic o.
the truth in practically every instance.
first business is to reach the man at
his home, in the shop, on the farm,
at the counter or wherever he may be
and tell him the story of the POSSIBLE
ity of immediate action that shall spell
death to the enemy of his home as
well as the enemy of yours. The Sec
ond great truth for us to lay grip
upon is that the great majority of
voters are unalterably opposed to the
unAmerican, unconstitutional liquor
traffic. The legislative campaign con-
templates accomplishing these ends.
The Plan.
The plan must be sufficiently com
prehensive to reach every voter In
the district and to set every real, en-
thusiastic enemy of the saloon at
work. In every voting precinct there
should be precinct chairman whose
duty it is to superintend canvass
of the entire precinct personally OF
through his lieutenants. Under him
there should be block captains sc
that each captain will have block Of
about fifty voters for whom he will
be personally responsible. A list o.
the voters in his block should be
placed in his hands. A careful survey
of the field and thorough and syste
matte canvass of every man should be
made annroaching each voter from