Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-21
ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE
ANNUAL MEETING OF MoNTGoM-
cry COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS.
Chevy Chase Club Case Made Subject
Of Lengthy Reports-Attitude DUR
ing Recent Campaign.
Special Correspondence of The star.

ROCKVILLE, Md, January co. 1906.
The annual meeting of the Montgomery
County Anti-Saloon League, which was
held in the Christian Church here today.
was the most largely attended meeting
ever held by the organization. Probably
two hundred temperance workers from all
sections of the county and other places
were present, and much interest was man
Tested in the proceedings. President w.
A. Maxwell occupied the chair, and Mr..
J.. Calvin Muncaster acted as secretary.
Following the opening prayer by Rev Mr..
Smith of Clarksburg and the reading of the
minutes Of the preceding annual meeting
by Secretary Muncaster, the annual adj
dress Of the president was delivered. Mr.
Maxwell confined his remarks largely to
defense of the action or the league in de-
Gliding not to take any part in the late
political campaign In this county, holding
that there was no occasion for the organi-
cation taking sides.
Mr.. Benjamin H. Miller, who represented
Montgomery county at the last national
convention of anti-saloon leagues, gave an
account Of that gathering. The reports Of
there being one from each election dis
trfct OF the county. were read.
Chevy Chase Club Case.
Probably the most interesting feature Of
the meeting was the annual report of Mr..
Frank Higgins, attorney for the league
and chairman of the enforcement COM
mittee. This report deals at considerable
length with the history OF the attempt to
prosecute the Chevy Chase Club for al
legged violation Of the local option law Of
the county, contending that Including
among it's members the President of the
United States, at least two members Of
the. United States Supreme Court, many
prominent ministers Of the Gospel many
members of the diplomatic corps and off,
GERS of the army and navy. 1t should set
us country folk a better example,
In criticsiing the county officers for not
doing their duty in regard to this organi-
cation Mr.. Higgins declared that in order
to induce a certain officer to raid the
Chevy Chase Club the Anti-Saloon League
s haa t Of s gay him out of its treasury the
In touching upon the leagues connection
with politics. the report says: TT Is an en-
couraging sign when the old parties and
their candidates adopt and stand upon
prohibition plank in their platform, as was
done in the last campaign in this county
by the republicans. We have Just learned
that our republican representative in Con-
gress, Col. George a. Pearre has intro
duced a bill providing that unless the ap-
plicant for a tax receipt shall first exhibit
a local license the receipt shall not be
granted. Such law would have a far
reaching effect and thoroughly protect local
option territory. 1t ought to appeal espe-
cially to the south. because of the doctrine
of states rights and home rule. The full
beneficent effect of prohibition in this
county is greatly reduced and nullifed by
the license system of a republican admins
tration dominating the United States gov
eminent and debating it's policy and MAIN
tanning the relation of a partnership with
the liquor traffic by its system in the Dis
trict of Columbia, from whence Montgon-
cry county gets all its Illicit whisky and
beer"
Reforms Recommended.
The report concludes with the following
recommendation 1.-The sheriff and his
deputies should be salaried officers instead
OF being paid by fees in criminal and civil
cases. The costs for serving processes
could be taxed in all cases by the clerk
Of the court and collected by the sheriff and
turned into the county treasury. This
would remove the temptation from the
sheriff and his deputies of simply working
for the fees In sight. They would then do
more detective work. The county commits
sioners should levy a sum of money for
the use of the states attorney in enforcing
all laws This would enable him to OBJ
tain the evidence against offenders of our
local option and gambling laws, which, In
a large measure in the past few years, has
been done by the law enforcement commit
tee of the anti-saloon league.
"A statue should be enacted at this ses-
sion of the legislature making 1t easier to
get foreign corporations into court. GEN.
| trail bureau of information should be estab-
lished at Rockville and supplied with funds
in order to gather information of infrac
lions of the laws and also to gather Stats
tics as to growth of prohibition laws and
of the effects of laws against the liquor
traffic in other places than this county,.
Election Of Officers.
The election of officers resulted as fol-
lows: President, Thomas j. Owens of
Gaithersburg; vice president, Rev. Wesley
A. Maxwell of Comus; secretary, ]. Calvin
Muncaster OF Rockville; treasurer, Alfred
Warthen of Kensington. There was some
controversy in the nominating committee
over the selection of president. OPposi-
ton to the reelection of President Maxwell
developed, owing to his having allowed a
statement to be issued over his signature
In the late democratic primary campaign
in which he favored the candidacy of Sena-
tor Blair Lee In preference to that of Col.
Spencer C. Jones for the nomination for
state senator and it was thought best to
name a new man. Mr.. Thomas j. Owens
was. as stated, consequently nominated
Among the more prominent temperance
workers present at todays meeting were
Asa NJ Stabler. Cyrus Keiser, Benjamin II.
Miller Rev. Thomas H. Campbell, Rev
Robert l.. McNair, Rev. Parke p. Flournoy,
Rev. Mr.. Smith, Rev. Thomas j. Packard
George r. Bell. Moses Montgomery, Rev
Thomas d. Richards, Arthur Staber, Ever
EFT Brown. Rev. S. r. White, Thomas J.
Owens, Charles r. Hartshorne, Mrs Sarah
Miller Mrs. Kelly, Mrs S. D. Higgins.
Frank Higgins,-J Calvin Muncaster Alfred
Wilson, Albert e. Shoemaker and others
AT noon all present were entertained at