The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-10-21
Conservatives of Anti-Saloon
League Believe that Well
Enough Should be Left Alone
for the Present.
THINKS PRESENT LAWS
SHOULD BE ENFORCED
Radicals May be Able to Control
Policy at Annual Meeting of
Trustees in the Middle of
November.

No annual meeting OF the truS-
ees of the Indiana Anti-SalOon
League has cast so long a sha-
low before it or has attracted as
much attention, in advance, from
temperance people, liquor people
ind politicians, as thu meeting
which will be held about the mid
lie OF November. AT this meet
ing the policies OF the league for
he coming year will be outlined
N the form of resolution adopt
ed by the trustees.
For some time the two ele-
nents OF the temperance forces
If the state, upon whose opinions
he action of the trustees OF tn
ti-Saloon League will base
their action at the November
meeting, have been discussing
he question of the attitude the
eague should at this meeting
axe toward statewide prohibi
ton. One of these elements Is
nown as the radicals and the
,ther as the conservatives
The radicals, who appear &c
&c fewer that the other element
1T the present time are those VINO
believe the league should at this
Meeting declare for an immediate
md active battle for statewide
,rohibit.on. But the prese.'- midi
atiol> are that the trustees will
ldopt a resolution for a more
onservative plan OF action, fav-
,ring a policy OF law emf ,rce-
nent and the holding OF the
,rounI 50 far gained and speaA-
ng in favor OF ultinfat. state
vide prohibition.
Some OF the conservative are
fraid that ii the other element
hould win at the meeting the an
i saloon movement in the state
would lose much that it has won
lnI hat the ultimate outcome
Aould be the loss of prnct;c..ly
til the momentum the anti->aloon
movement has so far gained il
his state. Many politicians with
xhom temperance people have
AIKEN such a view an the CON
;ervatives insist that the league
Nould lose more friends by such
/ declaration at this time than t
,ould win back in years. They
insist that such action at this
time would be nothing short OF
ash. They have argued, too that
such a declaration at this time
would lose the movement much
IF the valuable support from
newspapers OF the state which
the league has SO greatly profit
ID by in the past.
Say State is Not Ready.
The conservatives 60 further
and insist that even if none of the
riends OF the movement up TO the
present point would be lost by
such a declaration the state is
not ready for the submission OF
the question OF statewide prohib-
ition. There are too many people
they say, who insist that it has
not been demonstrated as yet
that prohibition in Indiana car
really be made to prohibit and
that the league should give prac-
tically its undivided attention to
Jaw enforcement in dry territory
of the state for at least long
enough timo to show the people
If these counties as we'll as the
people OF the wet counties, that
prohibition under a statewide
movement really would prohibi,
In the larger towns and cities as
we'll as in the smaller places
| The conservatives are insisting
that the movement can lose moth.
ing by waiting dor while, but
can lose much by hurrying its
broader proposition at tiis time
| There are about SIXTY members
IF the board OF trustees and about
iorty will attend the meeting, il
expected. A large number o.
the members are preachers, anC
| here has been a fear on the par
Of some of the conservatives tina
1 good many of the preacher
members may misjudge the atti
| tude of the public toward TIT
subject of statewide prohibition
| While there has been an i'm
preston for soma time that TIL,
Ioficers of the Anti-Salool
| League favored a NOR cOnserva
tive policy for the immediate fu
-ure than a declaration for an i'm
lmediate attempt to force state
wide prohibition, the question
will after all rest with the trus
tees, for the officers can but fol
low the policy laid down TO
| them bv the trustees. All tina
such officers of the league as ia
vor a conservative policy anc
lother conservatives will be abb
| to do will be to use their infu
ence, if this proves to be neces
,ary: to bring majority OF tn
trustees to their way of thinkin g