The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1906-04-06
Anti SaiSnn I.eagne.

The visit or DR.. >. "A. Smith, super
intepde9t of the Louisiana Anti Saloon
League, in our town, was an event OF
more than ordinary significance. The
American Anti Saloon League, with
headquarters All Columbus, Ohio, is
twelve years old, 1t was organized at
Oberlin, Ohio as a result of prayer
meeting held by number of minis
tiers to seek divine guidance in cOun-
teraeting the tide of evil coming from
the legalized saloon. 1t is now or
ganized in fOrty.four states and ter
ritories Of the United States. Louis,
lana is the last one of these to he Or
ganized.
In his address at the Methodist
church, DR.. Smith gave Il clear ac-
count of what the League is and whatit
is doing to solve the saloon problem
in this country.
The Anti Saloon League is a feder-
alton of the churches of this country
against the saloon. 1t is the church
in action against the liquor traffic.
1t is not SO much something to join, as
something to do. The effort is, to
throw the power of the united Kingdom
of God against the rum power of the
country. The work of the league is
to mobilize the churches Of Jesus
Christ against.the saloon. When this
is thoroughly done, the result will
come in the downfall of the legalized
liquor traffic. The League is strictly
omni-parhsan. 1t joins together all
parties, and persons of no party on
the one issue of incorporating. hos
tility to the saloon. 1t is entirely in
terdenominational. All churches and
people of the church are to unite un-
der its leadership to put an end to the
saloon.
Great things have already been done.
The governors of many of the states
are avowed pr0hibitionists. Among
those may be mentioned, Folk, OF
Missouri, Hoch, of Kansas, Hanly,. OF
Indiana, Pattison, ofOhio, and Glenn,
of North Carolina. In Ohio seventy
per cent of the territory of the state is
now dry. There are four hundred
less saloons in all Iowa. than there
are in New Orleans. In Tennessee
there are only sixteen places where
liquor is legally sold. The two men
who are now campaigning for sena-
tor, are Fastening to the people to tell
them that they are against the liquor
traffic. This condition has been brought
brought in Tennessee, by the Anti Sa.
loon League. In Kentucky sixty eight
counties are dry, twenty-five sell in
only one place, and we have Just Sc
cured the passage of better law, that
will put twenty-five more. counties in
the dry column. In the South
nineteen million of the twentV-seven
million of people now live under stat
utory prohibition. In the wholecoun
try thirty-three million of people live
in prohibition territory. Last year
the League collected and expended in
its work nearly fourhnndred thousand
dollars. 1t has 10 its employ, in this
country four hundred people. Its
work goes on all the year through,
both night and day. Its method of
subscriptions and collections gives il
constant income. Its success is due
in a great measure, to the fact that it
is eternally at it. Its mission will
only be accomplished when the last
legalized saloon shall 60 out of bust.
ness. In the providence of God. the
Anti Saloon League has come to
solve the liquor problem.
The money collected is used to pay
the workers in the field-in sowing
literature, in writing personal letters
to church workers, in short, in all le'
ultimate campaign expenses. The
liquor element is usually active in the
caucus, the primaries, the convention
and the legislative halls. By thi:
method we are enabled to put trained
workers, who see to it that the prohi
bition element is also active in these
same primaries, etc., and the results
are most gratifying to those who in
vest little money for that purpose.
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