The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-10-17
Superintendent of State Anti
Saloon Wants Statewide
Prohibition, But He Has
Some Opposition.
Immediate ACTION
REGARDED AS UNWlSE
Some Think That People
Should Have a Chance to
Grow Accustomed to Stat
utes Already in Force.
palladium Specially

palladium Specially
Indianapolis, Ind. Oct. 16.-The dec
laration made by the Rev. E. S. Shu-
maker, state superintendent of the In.
diana Anti-Saloon League, at South
Bend, that the temperance people are
going to work for the immediate en-
actment of state wide prohibition
law has aroused a great deal of COM
ment in this city, for it is known that
the leaders of the Anti-Saloon league
are not in harmony on that PROPOSE
tion. Shumaker wants state wide pro-
hibition and there are some others al
SO who want it and who are in favor of
going right after it. But on the 9TH
or hand it is known that some of the
other influential leaders believe that
it will be bad policy for the league to
make the fight for state wide prohi-
'bition at this time.
Was Hard Worker.
Mr.. Shumaker is one of the hardest
workers the anti-saloon cause has ev-
er had In the state, and his work has
been successful thus far. He has car
ried the gospel of temperance into ev-
cry county, having made speeches and
looked after organization matters in
every nook and corner Of the Hoosier
domain. He has always been in ia.
vor of the total abolition of the liquor
traffic in Indiana and has worked
toward that end. But there are a
good many among the anti-saloon
league workers who believe that he is
making mistake in seeking to make
the state absolutely dry.
Some of the leaders are of the opin-
ion that so much has been gained from
the legislature in the way of new re-
strictive laws that the league had bet.
ter wait awhile and let the people get
accustomed to living under the new
conditions before seeking to dry the
remaining territory and making the
whole state forever dry. This is one
reason why a good many Of them feel
that it would be useless to hold elec-
tions in the remaining wet counties
The fear that local option elections in
Marion, st. Joseph, Allen. Vigo, Van
derburgh and the other counties, for
they could not probably carry them
dry. They figure that to hold elec-
tions and fail in these largest counties
of the state just at this time might
prove to be disastrous to the cause of
total prohibition il an effort were
made to bring it about before the peo-
pie become fully convinced that pro
hibition is a good thing in the coun-
ties which have already voted dry.
They fear the moral effect of such a
failure.
Doesn't Share Fear.
Mr.. Shumaker, however, does not
share this fear, although he says that
to hold elections in these larger coun-
ties at this time would probably re,
suit in failures. He said in his address
at South Bend that the holding of 10
cal option elections had reached the
limit, and that no more elections would
be held for some time to come.
Just what effect Mr.. Shumaker's dec
laration at South Bend will have on
the future of the Anti-Saloon league is
hard to tell, but it is pointed out here
that If the people get the idea that
there is any difference OF opinion
among its leaders as to the policy to be
pursued in the future, it may do harm
to the league. And it is believed that
the enemies of the league will not lose
the opportunity to make use of the
talk of discord among the leagues
leaders.
To Be Dry in 1912.
Mr.. Shumaker predicted that Indi-
ana would be absolutely dry in 1912
He announced that the league will
make every effort to elect temperance
members of the legislature next year
from evry possible part of the state, ia
order that a prohibition bill may be
passed. This has been the intention
of the league all along. according t.
the statements which have been given
out. although the leaders have said
that they do not propose to draw any
| party lines in the matter. They say
the league will support temperance
men for the legislature. regardless oi
the party they belong to. They fol.
lowed this same policy last year. and
a few democrats were supported and
elected. and when they got into the
legislature they voted for the measures
,fContinu0d On Pa3n Tvol