Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-06
AARON 5. WATKINS
ON PROHIBITION
Third Party's Candidate For
Vice President Delivers Adj
dress Here
SMALL CROWD HEARS HIM
Watkins Delivers Good Speech From
Prohibition Standpoint, But Fails as
Drawing Gard - Says Adherence
to Old Parties is Stumbling Block in
the Path of Prohibition.

Aaron S. Watkins, of Ohio. prohibi-
ton candidate for vice president. who
is touring the country In the interest
of the party's ticket. spoke to an au-
dience of not more than 100 people in
the east court room Monday evening
Mr. Watkins proved to be a good ex-
ponent of prohibition theories and prin-
cipies. but as campaign drawing card
he was a failure. number of those in
his audience were members of the
other parties.
The keynote of Mr.. Watkins address
was that persistent adherence of voters
who were pnohibitionissts in reality. but
who would not leave the parties to
which they belonged to join forces
with the third party. was the greatest
of all the stumbling blocks in the way
OF the prohibition party.
Government Saloon Partner.
He led up to this argument with the
declaration that the federal govern
ment was the chief partner of the sa-
loonkeeper He pictured the govern
ment holding its left hand out for the
liquor revenue, while with its right
hand 1t stamped its coins with I'm God
We Trust" The speaker declared that
every man was partner of the sa-
loonkeeper, unless he had registered
his vigorous protest with his ballot
against the traffic.
License Failure.
He pointed out that the state OF
Iowa was another partner of THE sa-
loonkeeper, and declared THAT its 'mulct
law, or any other license law, was a
failure. License" he said, sis a regu-
lation that does not regulate and re-
striction that does not restrict
at is easier" he continued. ito shut
a saloon seven days in the week than
to keep it shut one day out of the sew
en-, and it lis easier to keep a saloon
shut twenty-four hours in the day
with prohibition than 1t is in ten or
twelve hours OF each day with license
Takes Shot at nti-Saloon League.
Mr.. Watkins took fling at the anti
saloon league, especially of Ohio, and
characterized as impractica'ble and OF
no good its system of endorsing good
men who We're not members OF fhe
prohibition party. He accused the anti :
saloon league of Joining hands with the
race track element and other ques-
tional,le political factions to beat Her
rick, candidate for governor of Ohio.
two years ago.
Lack Of an Issue.
He said there was no evidence to in
dictate that either of the great parties
would ever give us prohibition. Turning
to the campaign issues the speaker
said tho prohibition party was the only
one that had a real live issue and that
lacking one, the principals of the other
two parties had indulged lin a fling OF
personalities that sounded more like
a saloon fight than a political CAM
paign." He characterized as "a political
mummy the tariff question which, he
declared, had been dragged forth ITO
serve the purpose of an issue. He asked
his hearers to vote theht convictions
and he expressed his belief THAT there
would come a time when the saloon
would disappear.
Watkins College Professor.
Mr.. Watkins lis vice president of the
Ohio Northern University. ait Ada. and
professor. of literature and philosophy
He spoke at Toledo i'm THE Afternoon
before coming here.
Preceding and following the speech
Mrs. Ella Bailey, of Detroit, Mich, sang
prohibition camp songs.