The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-07-23
Reported That Some of the
Leaders Are Anxious to
Lineup With the Anti-saIoon
League.
ORGANIZATION WANTS
TO SECURE LEGISLATURE
] Letters Sent Out Point to the
Great Necessity of Electing
Dry Men to the Next Ind
lana Assembly.

Indianapolis, July 23.-It is said
ithat an effort will be made by some
of TIE republican party leaders of the
state to again. in a measure. line up
the republican party with the Anti-Sa-
loon league during the campaign next
year for the purpose of trying to bring
about the passage of state wide pro-
hibition bill by the next legislature.
This may sound like an inconsistent
statement, judging from what has hap
pened in the past and the present
temper of the majority OF the voters
of the state, but nevertheless it is true
for 1t was SO stated Yesterday by one
of the men who is high in the coun-
ellis of the party in the state. And
the movement in the party does not
originate with the Hanly following
either.
Sent Out Letters.
It is known that short time ago
the Anti-Saloon league sent circular
letters to several hundred OF its mem
sbers throughout the state bearing on
sthis subject. The AntfSaloon league
wants to control the next legislature.
That much is certain. It tried to con-
|trol the last legislature and 1t did so
TO the extent that it succeeded in pre-
venting the repeal OF the county local
Ioption law. But this time 1t proposes
ito 60 even further than 1t did last year
land 1t will seek to get such a firm
hold on the legislature that it can
put through the plan for state wide
prohibition. 1t Is this plan that some
of the republican state leaders have
fallen in with.
The la.ters which the league sent
out Do;Bted out to the members the
great necessity of electing dry" men
as members Of the next legislature. in
,Order that prohibition law can be
ipassed. It advised the members that
while an effort will be made to keep
both political parties from putting a
prohibition plank in their platforms
next year. 1t will nevertheless be wise
for the anti-saloon people to see to it
that the next legislature is composed
of majority of dry" members in or
der to bring about absolute prohibi-
tion In Indiana
What They Fear.
All along the officers of the league
have announced their opposition to
any platform declaration on this SUBJ
jject by either of the old parties. They
fear that such a declaration would do
the cause harm. because it would
make 1t q political party question.
This is something that all parties
hope to avoid.
But even in spite of this the league
believes 1t can consistently work for
the nomination and election of men,
bers Of the legislature who will be
opposed to the saloon and who will
vote for prohibition. The league says
1t will not consider the politics OF the
sman whom 1t chooses to support in
seach district and that 1t will not mat
ter which party he belongs to just SO
Ihe will say he is for prohibition. The
bulk OF this work of picking candi-
tdates that will be satisfactory to the
Anti-Saloon league will. therefore, be
done at the conventions or primary
selections. and in these the league is
expected to take big hand.
Republican Control.
It is now proposed that the repub-
1icans throughout the state shall join
in with this movement for the nom
ination and election of dry candidates
for the legislature. on the ground that
1t will be popular movement and
hot vp31 0AA - .k~
the party in the various counties.
The men who are backing the PROPOSE
tion believe that with the aid OF the
.Anti-Saloon league they could make
sure OF electing a sufficient number
OF members OF the legislature to in
sure republican control at the next
session.
Just how far they win get with this
plan ts . question. It is not known
just who all are connected with the
proposition among the republican
leaders, but II u known that some Of
them are giving it serious consider
alton. It IL understood that they will
probably send out letters to q number
Of The party workers In various coun-
ties 20 find out what they think OF
the plan. and the answers they re-
ceive may have something to do with
the outcome Of the plan. There are
now nearly eighty dry counties in In
diana, and the hackers OF the move
ment are IN hopes that the answers
received from these counties will be
20 numerous and of such nature as
to cause the party to take up the mat
ter Ia earnest. It is not likely that