The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1911-06-07

ton among the saloon keepers and
their lawyers and the public in general
after the League" had won a battle
in the courts put a saloonkeeper out
of commission.
The Anti-Saloon League doomed all
the stronger because its streng..i wae
unknown. The liquor interests regard
ed 1t it's natural enemy who was
liable to strike from any angle.
Until somebody can bring proof to
the contrary, the statement that there
is no such organization in Lake
County as an Anti-Saloon League must
stand as a statement of fact. Hereafter
when a remonstrance is filed before the
county commissioners against saloon
keeper or a class of saloonkeeper the
logical question will be: Who is the
private individual or combination Of
private interests who are furnishing
the money to carry on the legal fight
in opposition to the saloonkeper?"
Bruce Has Private Clients.
Attorney Otto Bruce of Crown Point
while in Hammond this morning in
answer to a question by TIMES re-
porter as to why he did not appear be
fore the county commissioners last
county commissioners last Monday to
demonstrate against issuing of certain
saloon licenses, made this significant
statement:
Il had no clients who wanted to be
represented at the commissioners
meeting. I am not the attorney for the
Anti-Saloon League and 1 never have
been. and If the impression has been
abroad that 1 represented that organi-
cation il was no fault of mine. l have
at all times told people who asked me
hot hor Cd &ha
Saloon League. that 1 was in no way
c, Ionected with the association In
every instance where I appeared on 2
remembrance | was retained by private
Individuals Frequently 1 was associat-
ed with Attorney Matthews In cases of
thic kind. l had no business of this
nature last Monday and that explains
why l did moot appear before the
county commissioners last Monday"
While Attorney Bruce did not care to
discuss what was popularity known as
the Anti-saloon league he minated
that II had never done anything In
Lake county
He did not divulge the names of any
of his clients who had backed him in
his legal fights.
snloonkeepers Hide Under Name.
Investigation along the line whether
county as the Anti-SaIoon league de-
velops the fact that in a number OF
the most bitter fights saIoonkee pers
and associations of saloonkeepers have
put up the money to fight against the
undesirables in their business at the
same time leaving the impression &C
out that the Anti-Saloon league was In
back of the legal battle. In this way
the liquor interests hoped to establish
the business on a cleaner basis.
When it is borne in mind that mer
like L. A. Bryan. the Gary millionaire
put up money out of his own poke
as private individual, and that other.
of the same opinion as he In Other
parts of the county did the same thing
that in some cases saloonkeepers a.
individuals and members of a sa
loonkeepers' association took a hane
in the fight. an explanation may b,
found in what appeared at times a.
sporadic, erratic and inconsistent at
tempts 10 punish the violators of tn
saloon law That accounts for attack
that have been made lone vic
latore in the south part of the count,
while in some Of the cities of the nortl
end gambling and dives iourished
The Indiana Anti Saloon league ha
all it can do TO maintain its state or
ganization intact and is not stron,
enough to maintain local organizations
1t has district uperintendents who's
only visible income are the collection
that are given at church meetings.