The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-10
THE ANT|-SALOON
LEAGUE ARRA|GNED
Albert Lieber Before Brewers
Tells of Organizations
Actions.
THE GENERAL SITUATION.
GOVERNOR HANLY is GIVEN A
SCORING FOR HIS ATTITUDE TO-
WARD THE LIQUOR QUESTION
IN THIS STATE.

goes into detail on the conditions in
Indiana in a statement by Albert Lie
Der of indianapolis. The committee
report read to the convention says:
THE Anti-Saloon League has avail
ed itself Of the remOnstrance laws dur
ing the year for the purpose Of exclud-
ing saloons from city wards and cOun-
ty townships. A large number have
thus been put out of business.
"In addition to the present liquor
laws Of the state, a law for local OPP
ton elections in counties is now being
vigorously agitated by the Anti-SalOOn
league. The suit brought by the at
torney general against twenty brewer
les for alleged ownership of saloons is
still pending"
Mr.. Liebers review follows:
THE situation in Indiana is slowly
improving. People are beginning to
realize that the Anti-Saloon League is
sailing under false colors and that it
strives for nothing less than complete
prohibition. For the present it de
mands county option, which, Of course,
means county prohibition wherever it
can get a majority for it. Whenever
it finds out that county prohibition is
not more enfOrcible than city or
township prohibition it will clamor
for state prohibition.
This is now clearly seen by the
people and it has called forth a move
ment among the business men of the
state and the Indiana Manufacturers
and Merchants club has been organic
ed by a number of prominent and in
fluenttal manufacturers to check the
movement. In spite of its short exist
ence the club has already a considera-
BILE membership and it will undoubted-
ly exercise a great moral influence
upon public sentiment. Then there
are the alliances of the German So
cieties in several cities and the state
alliance. They are now thoroughly
aroused and the one at indianapolis
has combined with the Hibernans for
q mass meeting.
One of the peculiar features of the
campaign in our state is the activity
of the governor in behalf of prohibit
ton. He lectures before Methodist
organizations all over the state. ad-
vocating prohibition and other tenn
perance legislation in behalf of the
church and religion. | judge, how
ever. from communications to news
papers and from other signs that the
governors activity, and more SO the
meddling of the church in politics. as
we'll as the mixing up of politics and
religion, become to many people more
distasteful every day
Our principal hope lies in educating
the public on the fallacy of prohibitive
legislation in theory and practice, and
its spreading the truth as to its effect
among the people"
President Liebmanns Address.
In his address, President Julius Leb-
mann said:
In spite Of the facr that our beer is
universally pure. and that the leading
psychologists are thoroughly agreed as
to its value, the brewer finds himself
held up to the scorn. and in many
states his business is in danger of con-
fiscation. What is the cause of this
Clamor? 1t is, we believe, the fact
that very few of the men and women
who preach prohibition have any
first-hand knowledge of the saloons
They do not enter them, even for pur-
poses of observation and they GER
tainly do not know that by far the
large majority of saloons are decent
and respectable, and do not tolerate
drunkenness or disorder
1t is of the utmost Importance that
the saloon keeper should respect the
laws, but the constant injustice meted
out to him under the guise of laws is 4
force which tends to undermine this re-
spect-
Problem Of Saloon.
The problem of the saloon is one of
regulation, by statutory authority; of
administration by the trade. From
either standpoint it Is a complex prob
lem which can not be settled in the
superficial observers.
The point which l want to empha-
size in considering this question of sa-
loon administration is that saloon re-
forms can not be brought about by the
brewers individually. But the brew
ers as an organization, can accomplish
great deal, though their organized
power has not yet been fully tested.
Regulation Complicated.
The regulation of the saloon has
been needlessly complicated by exper-
mental legislation. party politics, po-
lice corruption and inefficiency Fix
ed and arbitrary limitations imposed
upon communities by the state with
out regard to local conditions have
only increased the difficulty. To
keep the saloon out Of politics. it must
first be taken out of politics; and the
best way to keep il in politics is to
provide by local option laws for the
constant agitation of the license Ques-
tion. the element of harassing uncer-
tainty which this involves. In recent
years the saloon has been growing to
be less and less political factor. To
day it threatens to become the biggest
political issue il our history.
With a situation of this character
confronting us. and with our property
interests involved. with the millions
and millions of dollars invested under
the sanction Of the law. can any one