The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1912-11-15
THE AMERICAN ISSUE
A House Divided Against Itself
Cannot Stand
November IS, 1912.

The one prominent fact that stands out
above all others in scanning the results of the election
is ths-that the friends of decency cannot win that
the temperance forces in particular cannot win their
battles, unless they stand together.
long time ago Abraham Lincoln said that, and
it applies the present great contest against the
liquor traffic just truly 1t applied to the contest
against human slavery. In the state of Illinois the
forces of right and the forces of wrong have been
arrayed against each other in recent years in terrific
contest The fight has been for the publication of
the legislative body and for civic decency in general
There has been terrific fight for the advancement
of the temperance Everybody knows that it
has been hard fight win the victories for decency
that have been won, and victory has been
wheming in its character
If there twice many temperance people
in the state of Illinois there those favorlng the
liquor sde then the temperance forces might be able
to win though they divided but that is not
the case. To win the temperance forces must stand
solidy united. They cannot divide and win their
battles for county option.
An illustration. At the legislative primary last
April in the Sixteenth senatorial district, composed
of the counties of Livingston Marshall and Putnam
county option Republican nominated and anti
county option Democrat. Both had legislative
records. The Republican had stood with in
battles for temperance legislation the Democrat,
a member of the house. had voted against Then
the Progressive party with the nomination OF
another county option candidate, and the situation
stood-two county option against one liquor
1t does not take very much of a mathematician to
figure who had the best chance and to understand
who under ordinary circumstance should win. We
warned the people of that district that Mr. Hasse the
candidate of the liquor interests, would be elected
less the temperance forces got together upon
They refused to follow the recommendations of the
League, and now they must pay the penalty by being
represented for four years by pronounced liquor man.
Does it pay?
There is question about the temperance people
of Illinois being in the majority, but this time in many
places they actually in the minority because they
allowed themselves be divided and defeated through
their division.
The local option forces of the state of Illinois must
learn discipline in their fight. They must learn
to follow their leader if they would win Why do we
have Anti-Saloon League if it is not to lead the
antisaloon forces of the state, to investigate candi
dates to size up situations to determine where lies
the best chance of success to make recommendations
accordingly and to bring the local option forces to-
gether to the support of the right candidate?
We would like to ask the local option voters of
the state who did not follow the Leagues recommen-
datons to read again the following fable from Aesop:
THE BUNDLE OF STICKS
An old man the point of death summoned his sons
around him give them parting advice He ordered
his to bring in faggo of sticks and said to his