The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-04
MARYLAND FOR
 PROHIBITION Campaign to Wipe Out Saloons Begun. THE ANTLsAIooN LEAGUE Money is Being Liberally Used in
 Organization. The Democrats are Just Now at woxk on 2 Plsn to Eliminate the
 Bulk of the Negro
 vste.
HE ANTLsALooN LEAGUE
nY ALFRED !. STOPPER.

Washington. Jan. 3.--(Special. De Only two more months of this short session of Congress remain.
 If the Republican managers of leg- islation can have their way, very iit- tle outside of the passage of the reg ular appropriation bills will be cone. They appear to have made. up their minds to keep down expenditures on account of the big Treasury deficit. It is admitted on all sides that the rev- enues must be increased to even meet the ordinary expenses of the Govern ment. but the Republican leaders are said to be figuring that the lowering of many of the duties on imported arr ticles will increase. customs receipts.
 The spread of prohibition in the United States Is heavily reducing the internal revenue receipts. That wave ttons. and the Government officials cal-t culate that If 1t keeps on, the losses fin taxes from beer and spirituous H. quors will become a serious matter for the Treasury. Of course. the ca6iin is made that this loss should be made up by putting internal revenue taxes upon other things. Nearly ss0.09Q.0e0 were levied on account of the Spanish American war. They were collected for nearly three years and then re- moved. Many Congressman wanted those taxes retained, insisting that they did not bear heavily upon the people.
 Strong efforts are being made to place Maryland in the prohibition roll of States. There is an active antf- saloon league now at work In Balti- more. Money is being liberaUy used in the organization. The intention is to bring pressure to bear upon the Les isiature to paBs prohibition law such as exists in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Mississippi. Many of the Maryland counties have had local op- ton for years. The. anti saloon peo- pie realize that 1t would be trnpossi- bie to ueeups local option for the city of Baltimore. alone. and that is why they viii nrst rely upon the Legiala- ture to pave the way for general pro- hihition in the State.
 As to what the Legislature win do is problematical. to say the least. Tho Maryland Democrats just now arc Ae work on a plan to eliminate the bulk of the negro vote under an arrange meHt like that put through In most of the Southern states. The last att tempt to pass a constitutional amend ment failed because number Of the Democratic leaders were against 1t. ,n- cluding GoveEnor Warfield. Now the understa ndinE is that the leaders agree as to how the thing should be accomplished, and the prevailing be- lief is that the amendment will be ear- ried when next submitted. There ts no longer a German and anti-Gorman faction striving to get the advantaGe in State politics.
 This suffrage business may stave on for a year or two the tug of war be- tween the "wets'' and "drys" in Mary land, but nearly everybody who has looked into the situation recognizes the fact that the issue as to Whetner saloons shall be licensed in Maryland win have to be fought to finish sooner or later. That matter was fought out in Pennsylvania and the "wets'' secured a complete victory, ana 1t looks as if Pennsylvania is pretty solid for the saloon.
 A number of prominent Baltimore business men who have been here thia week say they cannot understand why their city was not invited to take part in the convention of the Southern Com mercial Congress recently held hers. They say that Baltimore has the bulk of It's trade with the South. that Inc citv is located at the very gatewat 10 the South. and Baltimore wants 10 pc in the Commercial Congress movement from now on unless some reason ia advanced why the city should not be.