Evening star., 1915-12-14
|ENEM|ES OF LIQUOR
FOR DRY DISTRICT
Anti-SaIoon League Begins
Campaign for the Sheppard
Prohibition Bill.
OPPOSES REFERENDUM
FOR DECISION OF ISSUE
Criticises Excise Boards Action in
Certain Officers Elected
for Ensuing Year.


| This is what is promised by the Dis
! trict branch of the Anti-Saloon League,
which. at it's annual meeting in the
assembly hall of the Y. NJ. c. A. build
| ing last night, formulated plans for
commencing vigorous fight to get the
Sheppard prohibition bill through Con-
sress ct this session.
A campaign committee of one hun
/ died prominent Washingtonians is to
be appointed and this body is going
out into highways and byways to find
support for the Sheppard bill. 1t will
not confine it's efforts to the District
of Columbia. but is going into the dis
| tricts of members of, Congress to line
up sentiment for the proposed legis-
lation
Appointment of the committee of one
hundred will be made by the board of
directors probably before the. end of
| iZe Immediately and subcommittee on
publicity, mass meetings and public
demonstrations and correspondence
/ with constituents of congressman will
paien organization will have started
on its work shortly after the first OF
the year.
| Not in Favor of Referendum Vote.
| Unanimous sentiment of members of
| the local branch of the league, as eX-
! pressed at last nights meeting. is
} against referendum vote in the Dis
trict the liquor question or any
other proposition that would cautie
delay in consideration by Congress OF
| the Sheppard bill.
| The referendum suggestion was hot
tlv denounced by President Andrew
Wilson and others as a scheme of the
liquor interests to delay ultimate and
ieffectual action on prohibition Clt1-
zens associations were called upon to
instruct their delegates to vote against
the referendum resolution when this
matter comes up before the Fedef2tion
of Citizens Associations.
Aside from planning for this nght,
| the league adopted resolutions severe
tly criticising the excise board ana cen
Robert G. Smith, chairman of that
body, whose reappointment it will op-
| pose.
| eve regret that the excise board has
| so consistently. by it's actions. Favored
| the liquor traffic, but this has but again
emphasized the fact that the liquor
traffic cannot be regulated. and that
the only remedy for the many evils
growing out of it is its total abolition"
Opposes Gen. Smiths Confirmation.
| Concerning Gen. Smith. the resolu-
tions recite:
| 1--WE appeal to the committee on the
District of Columbia of the Senate and
| the Senate not to confirm him, and we
resolve to oppose him.
Outimism was the keynote of the
resolutions. which declare that the
fight against the saloon in the District
has progressed since the organization
of the league in 1893. at which time
there were LOO licensed liquor places
| in the District. At present there are
.aThree-fourths of the territory of the
| District of Columbia is now dry and
the prospect for absolute prohibition in
| the near future is very bright" it was
| stated. Sentiment against the liquor
| traffic in the District has rapidly in
creased. keeping pace with that of the
| nation at large. We feel that the Dis
! trict is ready for prohibition and we
| appeal to all citizens of the District to
give support to the movement already
launched"
Substance of Resolutions.
Continuing, the resolutions say, in
part:
I'VE are grateful tc Senators Morris
| Sheppard of Texas, Wesley L. Jones of
Washington, Jacob H. Gallinger Of New
! Hampshire. William H. Thompson of
| Kansas, John w. Works of California
| and other senators and members OF the
! House of Representatives who have
| fearlessly and consistently worked for
| prohibition for the District. and who
Are now planning to bring 1T about at
the hands of the present Congress.
| THE league hereby expresses its ap-
| probation of the action of Postmaster
| General Burleson. who. on the 18th day
| of October, 1915, sent a strong letter of
| protest to the excise board against re-
newing the barroom license OF +. A,
| Sullivan at 1916 1st street northeast.
| within $50 feet of the mail bag repair
! shop.
That the league notes with pleasure
and appreciation the attitude OF the
board of education. the school officials
and teachers generally toward saloons
located within close proximity to pub
I'VE rejoice that the District Commits
sioners are favorable to strict en-
forcement of the Jones-Works excise
law.
man, superintendent of police, for his
zeal and earnestness in enforcing the
excise law, and those precinct COM
ma anders and other police officials VINO
are on the alert to detect violations OF
the law.
I'VE deplore the fact that offenses
against the excise law alleged against
licensed liquor dealers so frequently
go unpublished"
The resolutions were drawn UP by a
committee consisting Of the Rev. Lu-
cius C. Clark, the Rev. F. ]. Prettyman.
the Rev. E. NJ. Ramsay. the Rev. c. II. .
Butler, H. F. Lowe and Clarence A.
Vincent.
Review Of Years Work.
Reports on the years work were
made by. President Wilson. Treasurer
'