Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-18

a.
IkE @f League Of America will meet
IM In Chicago on Monday De-
10 M cember 6, the same day con-
lE1hE4sa gress convenes in Washing
ton. For a week before the
assembling OF the convention the su-
perintendents and field workers of the
league will be in conference, preparing
plans to be submitted to the national
body. The determination of the I'LL
nois league to force the anti-saloon Is
sue to a finish fight in Chicago will
provide a local interest greater than
ever before aroused by such con-
vention, The reports of the officers OF
the league, covering the two years
since the last convention, will show
wonderful achievement of the work
undertaken by the organization.
The -Anti-Saloon league is a remark
able institution. 1t is the most potent
organization in politics, outside of the
regular political parties. ever known In
the United States. 1t Is aVowedly and
openly a political institution, yet it has
so localized it's activities that 1t works
with either or both of the two principal
parties as it's best interests dictate. 1t
does not hesitate to change from Re
publican to Democratic over night, and
sometimes 1t forces both parties to
accept its men and measures. The
league, by the adoption of these tac-
tics has had much to do with the
growing tendency to settle political
battles without regard to national
issues.
Powerful as it has become, the Anti
Saloon league is not, strictly speaking.
an organization. In the language Of
its general superintendent, the Rev.
Purley A. Baker: TT is a league of or
ganlzations. 1t is the federated church
in action against the saloon. It's agents
are of the church. and under all cir
cumstances loyal to the church. 1t has
no interests apart from the church.
1t goes just as fast and just as far as
the public sentiment of the church Will
permit 1t has not come to the king
dom simply to build a little local sem
time:.t, or to assure the passage of
few laws, nor yet TO vote the saloons
from a few hundred towns. These are
mere incidents in its progress. 1t has
comet to solve the liquor problem"
While the Anti-Saloon league does
not represent the churches by virtue
of any ecclesiastical authority II is
nevertheless true that the league is In
fact confederation of churches and
churchmen opposed to the saloon 1t
is made up altogether of men promi-
nent in the pulpit and in the pews In
its political work it often allies itself
with political organizations which are
distinctiVely not of the church. and
such alliances invite the wholesale
condemnation of the opposing alliance
between some political organization
and the saloons
Practically all churches are repre-
sented in the league. The Methodists,
Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans.
Disciples, Universalists. Congregation
alists, United Brethren and several
smaller bodies have e indorsed the
league by formal action and have ap-
pointed delegates to its councils. The
Protestant Episcopal church is repre-
sented by Bishop McVicar of Rhode
Island, who is one of the vice pres-
dents of the national league, and by
many clergymen in all parts of the
country. The Roman Catholic church
has no ecclesiastical connection with
the league, and many of its leaders
have opposed the organization i'm poll
ties. The Catholic Total Abstinence
Union. however has a formal alliance
with the league. Archbishop Ireland
was one of the first vice presidents Of
the national league, and the Rev.
Father James M. Cleary of Minneap-
oils is now. national vice president.
While there are many leaders, both
clerical and lay, in all the churches
who are compelled by their consciences
10 oppose the work Of the Anti-Saloon
ganization more nearly approaches a
federation of the churches than ever
before has been seen in this country.
Leaders in the movement declare that
those pess ,mists who weep for the
downfall of the church, and who de-
clare that religion has lost Its in
fluence, would do well to consider the
power manifested by the federated
churches i'm the fight against the
saloons. Certainly the Anti-Saloon
league, whether for good or evil, has
proved itself a powerful factor in
politics in the past decade.
The most remarkable feature of the
work OF the league, as contrasted with
other anti-liquor fights, Is that the
Anti-Saloon league is not always for
prohibition. 1t ."goes just as fast and
just as far as the public sentiment of
the church will permit" For this rea-
son the league sometimes comes into
direct opposition to the prohibitionists.
For instance, at this moment the ultra
prohibitionists in Missouri are insist
ing upon a state wide referendum vote
on the question Of absolute prohibition.
The Anti-Saloon league leaders are
not convinced that Missouri is yet
ready for such radical step, and they
are fighting to maintain the present
status of the local option law. The
late Bishop Charles B. Galloway of
Mississippi was opposed to statewide
prohibition for a long time, but when
the hour came he turned the influence