Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-09
ANT-BOOZE FORCES
PLAN TO TAKE FIGHT
BEFORE CONGRESS
With Half the Union Dry, Battle
Will Be Opened for Ma
tional Amendment,
Leader Says
WANT STATE IN LIN E

The next scene OF the struggle OF the dry
forces to drive Uncle sam out OF the liquor
business will be staged In Washington, ac-
cording TO n statement Issued today by the
Rev. Homer w. Tope, head OF the Penn
sylvania branch OF the Ant-Saloon League
Of America.
Mr. Tope pointed out that the winning
Of five new states by the drys in last Tues
days election. making a total OF twenty
four States now in the lquorless column,
would make national prohibition vital
issue at the next session OF Congress- which
convenes In December. Pennsylvania Con-
gressmen, he declared. would be confronted
with the prohibition issue and would have
no opportunity 20 evade the question.
Tho Hobson national prohibition amend
ment will he submitted AZ the next session."
he said. We shall have to obtain a two
thirds majority OF tho Senate and n two
thirds majority Of the House in order to
have this amendment submitted to the
States for ratification. To sweep booze
from the United States we must have rati-
hcation Of the amendment by thirty-sx
States -Four additional States. Montana,
Nebraska, South Dakota and Michigan,
went dry last Tuesday, and a temperance
Governor and Legislature were elected in
Utah, which assures us of prohibition in
that state when tho legislature convenes.
That gives us twenty-four dry States--half
the States in the Union We are also vir-
tudlly CERTAIN tnAt AlAHka went dry, ana
we have strong hopes that Florida will
shortly be swung into the dry column for
we understand that the Independent candl-
date for Governor n strong temperance
advocate, has won out in that State.
Therefore. II will be seen that we only need
nine more States to stop the manufac cture
and sale OF liquor in the United States.
our hardest problem will be to get the
two-thirds vote in Congress. While last
Tuesdays election was a tremendous ad.
vance In the cause of boozeess America
1t should be impressed upon the dry forces
that there Is plenty Of hard fighting yet in
front Of us. Four.hfths of the liuuor traf-
hc is now cornered in a half dozen OF the
great cities of the country. but the heads
OF the traffic are desperate and they are
now going to hght tooth and nail 10 defeat
the will OF the people. The campaign OF the
Anti-Saloon League of America will swing
onward, waging hard, practical warfare
against the last crumbling trenches Of the
booze blight
THE splendid victory for the drys in
Tuesdays election will have its reflex ac-
ton on Pennsylvania. The people of this
State arc waking up to the curse of the liq-
uor business. and the time is not far dis
tant when Pennsylvania will fall in line
with more progressive States. Pennsylva-
mia Congressman will no longer be able to
ignore the question Of national prohibition.
"As our national superintendent, the Rev.
p. A. Baker, has stated, the time has come
to insert a plank in the platform of all
political parties favoring nationwide
prohibition. The last President has been
elected who will enter the White House
dumb and silent'upon this. the greatest and
most far-reaching question now before the
American people. But one thing can pre-
vent II from being acute issue In the
next presidential campaign and that is for
Congress to submit the question for ratifca-
ton by the States before the next presi-
dential campaign"