The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-25
National Superintendent of
Anti-SaIoon League Says
Elections Should Be Held at
Once.
1NDlANA LEADERS ARE
MUCH IMPRESSED.
rorces May Be Organized and
Fight Conducted Systemat-
icaIIy-Fear That Law Viii
Be Repealed.
BY Ellis Searles.

indianapolis, Ind, Nov. 25.-Plans
were discussed yesterday at the annu-
al meeting of the board of trustees OF
the Indiana> Anti league for
holding county local option elections
in this state as rapidly as possible.
1t is believed that such elections will
be held in many of the counties before
the legislature conyenes in January.
DR.. P. A. Baker, of Columbus, Ohio,
national superintendent of the Anti
Saloon league, was present at the
meeting of the trustees and he made
it clear in his speech that the Indiana
Anti-Saloon league ought to get busy
at once and hold elections.
One of the principal topics of dis
cussion at the meeting was the posi-
bility that the legislature will seek to
repeal the county local option law at
the coming session. 1t was stated
that there is danger that such an at
tempt will be made, and DR.. Baker
said that the most effective way to
head off any scheme to repeal the law
is to put 1t into force at once.
Would Force Elections.
Select the counties in which you
know you will win," DIR. Baker told
them, "the counties that you know will
go dry at the local option election.
Appoint committeeman for each
township and preeinet-in the county,
let him organize the forces. Then
establish county headquarters. Have
a county chairman and stenographer
who can get in touch with the town
ship and precinct workers each day.
Send out speakers and literature
among the people. Get them worked
up to 1t, and then when they come
to vote they will vote right. If you
do this and hold elections in all the
counties possible before the legislature
starts it's session it would not be we'll
for any political party to undertake
to repeal the law. If it did it would
be buried so deep at the next election
that it never could drag itself out.
Don't make any mistake about the
counties you select for the first elec-
tions. Be sure to pick out those IN
which you know you will win. Don't
let the first effort go astray.'
Bakers speech made a hit with the
. trustees of the Anti-Saloon>< league.
Judging from the number of ques-
tions that we're asked of him the trus-
tees were deeply interested in his
plan, and the comment was that the
plan proposed was good one.
1t Is known that the Anti-Saloon
leaders in this state have been anxious
ever since the election to try out the
county local option law, but they hes
itated about starting it into action.
But now that DR.. Baker has advised
them as to how to go about it, there is
good reason to believe that petition.
ers for elections will soon be whizzing
about in numerous counties.
DR.. Baker called attention to the
fact that when the Anti-Saloon people
in Ohio began seven weeks ago to hold
county option elections there were
only seven dry counties in that state.
Now there are fifty-two dry counties.
and more elections are to be held this
week. Only seven counties out of fiji
ty-two in which elections were held,
voted wet. The entire Ohio river
shore from the Pennsylvania state line
to Cincinnati, distance of $50 miles.
Is dry, with the exception of Marietta,
Baker said, and it will be but short
time, he declared, until practically the
entire state will be dry.
shumaker Makes Report.
e. S. Shumaker, the state superin-
tendent of the Anti-Saloon league. said
In his report to the trustees that dur
ing the last year the league has spent
So. 600 in its work in Indiana. This
was $1,000 more than was spent the
previous year. During the coming
year. he said, he hopes TO collect S4o.-
600 for the work in this state. He
said eighteen counties went dry
through the remonstrance process dur
ing the year, making total of twen-
ty-seven dry counties in the state at
this time. Twenty-one county seat
towns were made dry in the year
There are more than 500 dry town
ships out OF q total Of LOIS in the
state.
Shumaker said the effort OF the
league during the next year should be
to prevent the repeal of the county To-
cal option law and to work for the sub
mission to the people at an election of
. constitutional amendment for state
wide prohibition. He said he believes
this can be accomplished by 1912. Aft
or Shumaker had read his report, a
motion was made to adopt the lines
laid down In the report as the legisla-
lCOntinued On Page Tnree.)