Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-18
POKE FUN At THEIR AUDIENCE
LEAGUE SPEAK
Frs DISCUSS SUFFRAGE.
Meeting Held in the Interest Of Pro
hibition-Not Ready for I'm
mediate Action.

A meeting under the auspices of the
Anti-Saloon League was held last night
at the McKendree Methodist Episcopal
Church, on Massachusetts avenue near
9th street northwest In the absence of
d.. Donald c. Macleod. the president.
Rev. George r. Miller. DID,. pastor OF
the Ninth Street Christian Church, pre-
sided
DR.. Miller announced that it ex-
pected that Representatives John W.
Langley of Kentucky and Richmond Pear
son HobsOn of Alabama would be present
to address the meeting. but that both
had been prevented from doing SO. I'VE
are going said DR.. Miller. through
their constituents. to make ii so warm. or
to create such warm interest in the
| on the Hill will be glad TO enlist their
services in behalf of the cause
| The address of the evening was made
by DR.. Z. A. Baker. the general Superin-
terdent of the Anti-Saloon League OF
America. He said at the outset that il
was difficult to address a Washington
audience. because the people are not al
lowed to vote and have voice in their
| own government. Every great question
that affects the destiny of the nation.
said he. must sooner or later be settled
by the ballot. After referring 10 the fact
that prohibition is being talked of every
wherein the cars. in the home. on the
street.-the said. and even the liquor deal
ers are beginning to take notice. He
referred to the argument that prohibition
was impossible because OF its effect upon
the national revenues, and added, "but
they would not be had ii not been due
to an imposition upon President Lincoln.
who at the outset, opposed the internal
revenue laws. saying that once the liquor
| question got tangled up with them it
would be harder to Uproot and cast out
than human slavery.
Why Lincoln Favored the Law.
President Lincoln. he said. only APP
proved those laws as d war measure, and
not until he had been first assured that
they would be wiped off the statute book
when the war over. He also de-
MED the prohibition sentiment in the
! south and the resulting laws are due to
the fear of the negro.
They are due. he said, Ito the alb
sence OF the foreign element there. and
TO stronger influence on the part of
the church. under able and fearless lead
ers, than appears TO exist in the north"
ThirtyfOur legislatures met last year.
and twenty passed some kind of laws
against the liquor traffic. he said. The
league achieves its success" he added.
because we don't go into the clouds hunt
ing sunbeams for walking sticks: but get
down in close touch with the heart of
can get and what an enlightened public
sentiment will upho Il, for then ii can
be enforced: but all the time are
pressing forward to the time when we
shall have a saloonless Aemrca.''
DR.. Young's Address.
| DIR. Baker was followed r. DIR. G. W.
| Young. the assistant general superintend-
ent of the national league, who poked a
little fun at his audience because of their
inability to vote. and, with some feeling,
exclaimed: oh. that some genius in leg
islation would arise who can devise a sys-
TEN by which these people may be per-
mitted to govern themselves. Answering
the argument that drink is not unreason-
ably restricted in the capitals of other
nations, DIR. Young declared that 1t WAS
| the province of America to lead, not tC
| follow. Don't let try to move tbs
saloon out of Washington now, he said
| when four fifths of the people here don
want 1t; but let US agitate the question
| until Washington. as well aS the rest OF
| the country. is fire with the Senti
ment' He referred with some warmth "a
the "meanness of Congress" i'm not acting
| on the proposition to amend the inter
| state commerce law. and said its actio1
| in smothering the bill in committee was
| law; let the courts determine if it is un-
constitutional; and. if it is. let amend
the Constitution. for we do il.
! Two stanZaS of america We're sung
| by the audience, and the meeting was
! closed with benediction by DIR. Charles
F. Winbigler, pastor of TIL. First Baptist
Church