Arizona republican., 1909-06-29

and powerful factor in the contest
 against the legalized sale of liquor. | For the explanation of this overmast- | ering force it is necessary to turn to
 the Anti-Saloon league and to, the
 man who Is the animating and direct | ing power of the league-Rev. Purley | A. Baker. The success of the league
 in assuming a.-dominant positim in | the fight for prohibition undoubtedly is due in large part to this one man, who assumes the modest title of gen. | eral superintendent of the league, but
 who in reality is the commander-in-
 chief of the forces that are waging
 a countrywide fight against the
 saloon. MT. Bakers early training
 was in the ministry, but in directing his present work he has taken leaf from the book of the captains of in- dustry who have built up our great industrial combinations. From the league headquarters in Columbus Ohio, he dominates the prohibition movement today quite as thoroughly as MT. Hartman exercises his mast
 cry over the transportation business
 of large section of the country, or
 as Mir. Rockefeller imposes his will
 upon the oil industry. As in the
 case of the industrial magnates, too,
 the standard by which MT. Bakers
 lieutenants must rise or fall is the
 thoroughly practical one of results"
 The state or district superintendent
 who cannot show results in the way
 of progress and financial support is
 likely to find himself deposed or
 transferred to some less important
 post. The leagues opponents have
 made much of the fact that it's
 agents are paid for conducting the
 anti-saloon agitation and that their
 livelihood depends upon it's continu-
 ance. But while this incentive to
 effort may not be based upon the
 loftiest grounds it has been found
 the most effective yet devised in
 accomplishing the leagues objects.
 Nearly all the active workers of
 the Anti Saloon league are clergymen,
 and, although not a denominational or
 religious movement the agitation is
 carried on through the churches In
 fact MT. Baker and his associates may
 be said to have created a new profess
 sion for ministers in conducting the
 anti saloon movement As the field
 is broader and the pay larger than
 falls to the lot of most clergymen at the head of congregations, it has been
 easy to attract some of the ablest
 pulpit orators to this line of work.
 No attempt has been made to build
 up an individual membership for the
 league. Any church that opens it's
 pulpit to league speakers and contrib
 utes to its financial support-usually by means of collections taken up at these special meetings-is listed at
 the league headquarters among its allies. The very indefiniteness of the
 voting strength which it can rally makes. it's threatened opposition more terrifying to the office-holder in many cases than would he that of an or ganization with a specified member ship. The various churches which extend their hospitality to the orators of the league are entitled to a vote in the selection of state boards which act in an advisory capacity, but the | actual responsibility and authority in carrying on the leagues work in the various states rest with the state superintendents. These are nominated by MT. Baker, and as this nomination is practically equivalent to an cleo ton the control of the entire cam paign from that of the national work CTS down to the district superintend- ents working under the direction of the state leaders is concentrated in the national headquarters at Colum- bus.
 It would be hard to devise a more powerful machine for conducting a specialized campaign of this sort than l has been evolved by MT. Baker in the | Anti Saloon league. The league is a self constituted, self-centered, self l continuing body. It cannot be dis l rupted by a schism of its members | because it has no members It is re- | sponsible only to itself and nobody | can exercise any authority as to how | it spends it's money or conducts its |. work. Naturally enough this auto cratic plan or organization has sub jected the league to some criticism and attack. There have been charges of improper use of funds and of loose But MT. Baker and his associates have steadily maintained the advantages of a form of control which makes it possible. to shape plans without the necessity of securing the approval of commit tees, boards of trustees or a widely | scattered membership. --yS.-s
 In any fight that the. league goes into it assumes the leadership. IfEei local organization of citizens cdnr-t lucting a. no-license campaign desirrs he aid of the league it must ncdrK in conjunction with the speakers and | workers assigned to. it by the league li leadquarters and must contribute for- r " per cent of the funds it raises.-tu- he league treasury. If these terma are refused, as happened in one of he county fights recently Waged in
 Michigan, the league declines to @par-1 icipate in the struggle. Another po- ;ition that the league has adhered t9 E, steadily is that it will support sany ti candidate regardless of party who r will pledge himself to vote for the measures which the league Is seeking o have enacted into law in his par
 icular state. The candidate need lot hold in personal belief or prac- ice to the principles of prohibitiep. All that the league exacts is a definite promise of support of it's measures. As soon as this is received it begins Tn active campaign in behalf of the
 f.,fr.