The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-24
Now They Have Realized That
There Is Such an Evil in
Existence and Will Open Up
A Crusade.
TOO MUCH ABSORBED
IN SALOON WARFARE
But Anti-saIoon League Now
Realizes There Is Worse
Evil Than Booze Shops, 1t
Is Stated
Especial correspondent.)

Indianapolis, March 24.-Ine WHO
and woody lion and tiger in Africa
where Theodore Roosevelt is going
are not the only animals that are to
have a run for their money. While
Roosevelt is after them the Indiana
Anti-Saloon league will be hot on the
they say they propose to make it
warm for him.
Seriously, the Anti-Saloon league
has come to the conclusion that mere
ly driving the saloons out of the coun-
ties of the state is not enough and
that this alone will not eliminate the
liquor traffic from Indiana. The lea
que officers have discovered what ev-
erybody else has known all along
that when you drive the saloons out of
a county the blind tiger comes in.
unless the laws are strictly enforced.
And everybody knows how difficult it
and also how difficult 1t is to have
them enforced.
War on the Tiger.
1t was announced at the Indiana
terday that the league will begin at
blind tiger. 1t is the intention of the
league, SO the officers say. to form an
organization to combat the blind tiger
that will be fully as strong as the Anti
Saloon league in its fight against the
open saloon. This new organization
may be an adjunct to the Anti-Saloon
league or it may not. That part of
the plan has not been decided on and
will not be for some time.
Superintendent Shumaker admitted
yesterday that the greatest difficulty
the Anti-Saloon league is experience
ing in the effort to wipe out the sa-
looms is the blind tiger. which springs
up in counties where saloons are driv-
en- out. This he says calls for the or
ganization of a movement that will be
directed especially at the illegitimate
and illegal liquor selling place. con-
Quoted in an out of the way place and
In secret manner. The same plan of
campaign that Is used against the sa-
loon will not do in a fight against the
blind tiger. The enemy is q different
kind and requires different methods
in the effort to get rid of it. That Is
why a separate movement will be
started.
A Strong Argument.
One of the strongest arguments Of
fered during the session of the legis-
lature against the county local option
law was that when you drive saloons
out Of the county and prohibit the
legal sale of liquor it will be sold illeg-
ally. Several of the members of the
legislature came from counties that
had had this very experience. Others
told of bootlegging that was carried
on in counties where there are no sa-
looms. So strong were these argu-
ments, in fact, and 50 earnestly were
they offered and listened to that IL the
bill which was offered to repeal the
county option bill had been anything
near like what it should have been it
would have passed and become a law
There is no question about that. But
the brewers drew the bill the way
they wanted it and the result was that
the temperance people and some of
the liberals could not stand for 1t.
Overlooked the Evil.
For long time the Anti-Saloon lea.
que and its followers did not seem to
realize that there was such a thing in
the state as blind tiger. They SEEM
ed to think that the only thing neces-
sary to the elimination of the liquor
traffic was the wiping out of saloons.
and their efforts were directed entire
ly toward that end. They have been
extremely successful in this, too, for
they have driven out about 1.SOO sa-
looms by remOnstrance and fully 500
by county option elections But they
do not know how many hundred blind
tigers have sprung up in the places
of these saloons.
But now the blind tiger must 20.
The league has said so and Judging
from the way it has gone after the sa-
looms and the success that has attend
ed its relentless war against them. It
will be able to carry out its own die.
tate.
1t is understood that a conference
Is to be called within a short time of
leading temperance and Anti Saloon
people throughout the state for the
purpose Of taking up the blind tiger
question and then some definite plan
of action will h. adontod