The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-05-24

Charges Are Preferred Against
Rev. P. A. Baker, D. D.

st. Paul, May 16-Senationa
charges were preferred against thu
leaders of the Anti-Saloon league ant
especially Rev. P. A. Baker, genera
superintendent of the league, in pla
cards distributed among the mem
bers of the prohibition and temper
ance committee Tuesday. This was
the opening gun of the long expected
battle between the Anti-Saloon league
and the prohibition party, with the
Endorsement of the league by the
quadrennial Methodist Episcopal con
ference in session at Minneapolis as
the bone of contention.
Born With the Lie a Charge.
The Anti-Saloon league is alleged
to have been born with the lie in its
mouth. Mr.. Baker is charged with
misrepresentation Some of the lead
ers are declared to be out for rev
enue only and not for the temper
ance cause. They are accused oil
claiming victories they never achieved
in order to get funds and some
twenty other charges are related in
the circular.
The leader of the fight against the
Anti-Saloon league is Rev. u. G.. Rob
inson, a Baptist minister and former
member of the Anti-Saloon league
He is the editor of The National
Issue, prohibition organ.
Present Charges to Conference.
1t is planned to have the charges
presented to the general conference
soon by prominent Methodist col
lege president The Anti-Saloon
league members, who control the
temperance and prohibition commit
tee, are drawing their lines of battle
to prevent the matter being brought
to the conference and won in a pre-.
liminary skirmish Tuesday in the
committee, putting Mr.. Robinson out
of the committee.
In two other matters brought be
fore the committee, the Anti-SalooD
forces won out in one and gave in
in the other They allowed the pas
sage of the resolution calling for an
appropriation Of $509o0 for the work
of the temperance society of the
church, after steam-roller methods
refused to work. ~
Regarding the Contributions.
But they succeeded in having all
of the contributions for temperance
work listed in one column Of the
statistical blanks. the contributions
for the temperance society, the Anti
Saloon league and the other temper
ance contributions being Jumped to-
gether. The prohibition members
wished the contributions listed sepa-
rately so that the members would
know just what they were giving
for.
The only hint of the impending
battle given on the floor of the COM
mittee was the attack made upon the
placard by one of the members, who
declared it to be a concoction of
falsehood and scandal. Mr. Baker
made no answer himself to the
charges on the floor of the commit
tee.
More About Row. s-
Minneapolis, May disappointment
ent p. J. Youngdahl of the Mime
sofa Anti-Saloon league, has few kind
words for Rev. U. c. Robinson, who
issued placards at the Methodist con-
ference yesterday bearing charges
against General Superintendent Per-
ley A. Baker of the Anti-Saloon
League of America.
Among other things Mr. Young
dahl says that The National Issue.
the temperance paper published by
Mr.. Robinson, probably is backed by
brewery interests. This he bases on
the fact that Mr.. Robinson sends
out a four-page copy of his paper for
10 cents per year, that it has little
or no advertising, and must be run
at loss.
Not For Prohibition
"The little sheet is not for prohl-
bition," said Mr.. Youngdahl. while
the hard battle was on to keep the
prohibition issue alive i'm Maine, this
sheet was replete with articles that
favored no one but the brewers.
"From time to time Mr.. Robinson
has said he had some charges to
make against Mr.. Baker The ma
tional board of trustees, which has
complete control over Mr.. Baker, has
urged Mr.. Robinson to make his
charges. The board has gone so far
as Offering to pay all Mr.. Robinson's
expenses if he would make the
charges. He accepted the proposition
but never made any charges and |
do not believe he has any. We are
convinced he is insincere.
Statement BY Baker.
In his report to the board OF
trustees Mr.. Baker makes the follow
ing statements relative to Mr.. Robin
son:
"He asked that | come into Mis-
souri, and help him for week. | had
been with him but two days when
felt strongly impressed that he was
not a man fitted to do Christian
work Shortly after, my suspicious
were confirmed by receiving a COM
munication asking that the national