Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-20

direction and the state went dry. The
Anti-Saloon leaguers are all for prohibition,
eventually, but they are willing to take a
little bit at a time and to hide a wee.
The campaign waged by the A%nti-saloon
league Is unique In the history Of s~o-called
moral reforms" in that IL takes into ac-
count the essential value Of expediency
The 'abolitionists' who famed the fires
OF anti-slavery agitation before the war
are comparable to the straight-out "prohl-
bitionists" Of today. Neither accomplished
much in practical results. But the issue
of the "abolitionlsts" when adopted by an
organization with a regard for expediency
resulted in the republican party.
The Anti-Saloon league In one state may
be fighting with the regular republican or
ganization for straight prohibition. Across
the border in the next state It may be
fighting with the democratic organization
for a county-unit ~local-option bill, aging
never a word about prohibition. In one
city 1t may be allied with a citizens"
movement to GUST a regular party organi-
cation from municipal power. In another
II may be allied with one Of the regular
party machines for fighting for nothing
more radical than a tight Sunday lid"
as it's issue.
It is inevitable that an organisation
which thus seizes every opportunity to ad-
vance any part Of its propaganda should
make alliances With forces which invite
the severe criticism Of the opposition, and
often of the prohibitionfsts. 1t is also in
evttable that a movement which has mani
Tested such great power should attract to
It a certain type Of self-seebing politician
whose conduct brings the league into bad
odor. The leaders of the Anti-Saloon league
say they realize these things, but that in
their great fight they are willing to accept
aid from any source. What the league
wants is results.
At the convention in Chicago the prin-
cipal feature on the program will be the
call of the states. The names Of the
states will be called in alphabetical order,
and the league workers from each will re-
port the progress Of the campaign in his
baliwiok, Nine state will report "all dry"
OF these, Tennessee, North Carolina, Geor-
Alabama and Mississippi voted out the sa-
looms as the direct result of the campaign
waged by the league. From every state in
the union the league workers will report
victory In the majority of battles in which
the. organization has engaged. Twenty
three governors of states, half Of all the
governors in the union, are committed in
part or in whole to the support of the
league. More than half the people Of the
United States live in prohibition territory,
and a great deal more than half OF the
land area Of the county is dry, so far as
the legal sale of alcohol beverages is con-
cerned. During the two years since the
last meeting of the National league, the
organization has won political victories
of one sort and another in every state, and
in the whole country, has won more than
three-fourths of the fights in which it has
engaged.
A striking feature Of the propaganda Of
the organization Is that, in its fight on
the saloon, 1t devotes more argument to
the economic and political phases of the
question than to the so-called moral
issues. The evils resulting from the con-
troll of political machines by the saloons,
and the economic losses involved in the
business are dwelt upon, while there is not
nearly so much said about ''drunkards"
and horrible examples"
Thus far the league has done very little
in national politics. II has been fighting
for certain federal legislation, and his put
congress on notice that is must sooner or
later deal with the question OF prohibition
for the District OF Columbia. II the
league should take up an active campaign
IN favor Of the proposed legislation by
which congress resigns to the states the
right to regulate interstate shipments Of
liquors, then the fight win become national.
At this time the leaders of the league are
divided In opinion as to whether or not
the time has come to enter the national
field as an aggressive political force.
Interests opposed to the ~Anti-Saloon
league, and organizations fighting it in
politics, are confident that the league is
at the high-tide of its power and influence.
1t is believed that an era of reaction will
follow the prohibition wave, and that the
saloons will conn back to the towns from
whence they have been driven. The
leaguers declare that the hopes of the
opposition are groundless, and that the
league is stronger and more potent today
than ever before.
Whether one believes in prohibition or
not, whether one believes in sumptuary
legislation or not, whether one believes
that blind tigers" are worse than licensed
saloons or not, whether one may believe
with relation to the issues revolving about
the saloon, the meeting of the National
Anti-saloon league in Chicago is fraught
with interest to every American.
ny Fredorio ]. HaBkln.
49,.