The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-09-29
TELLSITS PURPOSES
c. j. Ferguson Writes of
Anti Saloon League
And Its Work
Nine YEARS IN VERMONT
Has Not Put Liquor Question Into
Politics Because 1t Was There Be-
fore League Was Organized-Not a
Political Party and Does Not En-

AVhuCc DeCAuSt IL was IHeTe DC
fore League Was Organized-Not q
Political Party and Does Not En-.
dorse Any Party.
To the Editor of the Journal:
The writer has not the opportunity
to see the Journal except as somebody
sends one evidently supposing it ha,
something of special interest to him
The Wednesday Journal has come tc
hand in that way and have read with
interest the Henry G. Maine letter and
the Journals editorial reply thereto
Nothing more is needed to we'll dis
pose Of the points raised by Mr.. Names
letter, but in your editorial comment
| ing upon the following clause of his
letter, to wit: by this system ("gov-
eminent by ballotO the Anti-Saloor
League has destroyed hundreds of mil
lions of lawful property and brought
the liquor question into politics." you
say: "this paper does not approve of
all the methods of the Anti-Saloon
League but fails to see where 1t has
destroyed hundreds of millions Of law
full property" In that connection ]
ask to say that the Anti-Saloon League
is willing to plead guilty to the charge
of Mr. Maine. The plan and system Of
the Anti-Saloon League is to give to
the people of political units the chance
to decide upon what disposition they
will make Of the liquor question, first
by small units and as fast as public
sentiment is ready for 1t by the larger
units until the question shall finally
be settled in the way suggested by the
league motto: "The Saloon Must Co."
BY the leagues system Mr.. Maine
says "the people" are doing the job
and hundreds of millions of lawful
property" has already been destroyed.
How does that tally with their thread
bare argument that Prohibition does
not prohibit? Government by ballot"
is giving prohibition in units of vary
ing size. If it don't prohibit and if
more liquor is sold under dry" than
wet" policy as they persistently
claim one would suppose that the effect
of prohibition would be to increase
greatly the output and the consequent
value CT these liquor properties. 1t
is necessary for us to forget one argu-
ment when they use the other else
there is trouble with the Prohibition
don't prohibit" argument.
But it was your suggestion that you
do mot approve of all the methods of
the Anti-Saloon League" that especial
ly interests me.
The AntiSaloon League is a human
system or plan of federation and no
one so far as l know has ever claimed
perfection for it. We are glad to note
that Mr.. Maine thinks, perfect or i'm
perftc, its doing the job it is set to
perform. We are always open to sug-
gestions and if they are kindly made
they are always received in that spirit
and so far as they are susceptible of
adjustment to the established main
policy of league procedure we are
glad to adopt and make use Of them.
Now if the Journal will favor us
with fair and just criticism of our
methods we will esteem it favor. We
do not care for a review Of the things
that have been said" of the league but
which, although we don't often go into
print to deny, are absolutely false. The
Journal will be able to recall some
mistakes OF the Vermont league made
in it's early, and perhaps more recent,
history, and should be as charitable to
the league in it's allowance for mis-
takes as 1t would be to any human Or
ganization or indeed as it expects for
the Journal itself.
1t should be remembered that the
Anti-Saloon League never put the
liquor question into politics. The liquor
folks would have the people think so
but a moments reflection would spoil
that claim. The league is only II
years old anywhere, in Vermont only
nine years old. Who will arise to claim
that the liquor question was not in
politics before the advent of the
league?
The league came to fight the liquor
traffic and it had to attack it where
it found it. Everyone knows that the !
traffic has always perpetuated it's legal
or illegal existence in the political are
ma. Remembering that fact we shall
welcome your criticism of what we are
and our methods Of carrying out our
That you may not mis-
take our real purpose and established |
methods I submit the following and
trust it will not be too much for your |
Of space.
What About the Antl-SalOOn League?
1t is not a political party; neither
does it endorse, combine with, or op-
pose any political party, as such.
A temperance organization Of which |
persons become members, though all |
persons opposed to the saloon may |
work through it directly, or through |
organizations of which they |
may be members.
A movement for saloon reform, but
or saloon suppression: though its law |
methods secure the best