The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-21
Legislature, Says Shumaker,
Would BaIk on Statutory
Prohibition, But Would
Agree to a Referendum.
PEOPLE MUST PLEDGE
THEIR LEGISLATORS
Not to Repeal Any of Existing
Liquor Laws, He Says, This
Action Not Being Duty of
The "League."
palladium Specially

Indianapolis Jan. 21.-In addition
to his statement of yesterday setting
forth the purposes of the Indiana An
ti-Saloon league, e. S. Shumaker, SUI
perintendent of the league today gave
out another statement giving the reas-
ons why he believes the trustees of
the league acted wisely recently when
they decided to make stand for state
wide prohibition by constitutional
amendment rather than by statutory
provisions. In his statement in regard
to the policy of the league Mr.. Shu-
maker said that legislature must be
elected that would be against the re-
peal of any of the present liquor laws
and that would be in favor of state
wide prohibition ultimately. He ex-
planned though that he believed that
the task of pledging candidates for
the legislature to stand for a prohi-
bition amendment should be left to
the people of the different counties
rather than to the officers of the anti
saloon league. He declared also that
the question should be kept entirely
out of politics. but that the followers
of all parties should be enlisted for
the cause. Mr.. Shumaker's additional
statement given out today was as fol-
lows:
Rule by the People.
THE plan of the constitutional
amendment will put the question up
to the people. It will be ruled by the
people of the entire state. The whole
state is affected by the evils of the
liquor traffic as is witnessed by the
existence of penal institutions. asy-
lums, etc, which are liable upon the
entire state.
1T will be easier to induce the gen.
eral assembly to pass joint resolu-
tion twice than statutory prohibition
once as it is simply a referendum to
the people and fewer legislators will
deny the people the opportunity to de-
eide this question than would refuse
to pass statutory prohibition.
This policy is in keeping with the
fundamental principles of the league
accomplishing the reform by follow
ing the line of least resistance. This
plan also will appeal to the public.
Many VINO would oppose the enact
1nenC OF q SO-callcQ aTDlCTarV statutory
law will gladly join with temperance
workers in securing the submission Of
statewide prohibition to the people
and will also help to secure it's adop-
ton. This method Of procedure
therefore commands a much larger
following.
This plan will not be open to the
objection of forcing prohibition onto
the people before they are ready for
it. The county option law will have
had ample time to win adherents for
the final enactment against the liquor
traffic because by the latter part of
1913 the voters of the state will have
had sufficient opportunity to learn
how county option decreases drinking
and drunkenness, reduces crime and
poverty. In other words county option
will have served as an excellent OBJ
ject lesson to the people of the state
and will have prepared them for the
extension of the anti-saloon idea to
the entire state.
Building for Posterity.
1T should not be forgotten that we
are building not for the immediate