The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-02-20
Unfounded Accusation.

In the overzealous pursuit of an ideal man
may lose his equilibrium and fall from the lofty
heights he has been exploring; and II he falls alone
the world will not follow his flight nor concern
itself with his fate. But if he threatens to drag
organization down with him there will be deeper
import to the interests of the citizens of Washing
ton has been proposed in Congress and naturally
there has been wide discussion of its purport, with
the resuh that very strong sentiment has been
developed in favor of inviting the people Of the
District of Columbia to express their approval or
disapproval at the polls of the proposed law. The
principal civic organizations of the Capital City
are the Washington Board of Trade, the Wash
ington Chamber of Commerce. and the Washing
ton Retail Merchants Association, and in public
session they all have deliberately and formally ex-
corded, in favor of submitting the provisions of the
measure known the Sheppard bill to the people
Tor their affirmation rejection. These reputable
and long established organizations have merely
ieSolueu themselves as IN favor OF giving TIC
people of the District of Columbia the opportunity
to express their opinion to whether there shall
be change in the whole municipal system and in
the method of raising some half million of revenue
for the city's support.
There comes, however, person known as the
president of the Ant-Saloon League, organiza-
ton with a single object, and irnputes fraud and
corruption to the Washington Board of Trade, a
body composed of public spirited and representa-
tive citizens of Washington with more than quar-
ter of century OF honorable history to point to-
This first official of the Anti-Saloon League
charges the Washington Board of Trade with
packing meeting and with miscounting the vote
expressed in favor OF permitting the taxpayers OF
Washington to declare their will in the determine
ton of their own fate. Furthermore, this
official accuses the administrative officers of a
church, established in Washington more than sixty
years, OF connving with the liquor interests in
effort to evade the law The fact that he has been
compelled to retract this charge falls far short of
him or his organization of the sus-
picion of bigotry and ruthlessncss.
1t must be admitted that the question of the
desIrabiIty OF prohibition in the District has been
made secondary by the behavior OF the head of the
Anti-Saloon League. In accusing large number
of the most public spirited and respected citizens
OF Washington of fraud he has rccgated the merits
of the Sheppard BILL against which the druggists
OF the city and two members Of the Cabinet have
protested, to the background. He has weakened
the cause of his organization mmeasurably though
that is not question with which the average citi-
zen is concerned What should and does interest
the people of the Capital vitality is the proposition
to change the fiscal system under which they live
and pay taxes, and upon which their representa-
tves in the various civic organizations demand that
they shall have voice. 1t is to be hoped that
Congress will take cognizance of the unfounded
imputation of fraud to those who recognize the
right Of the people to be heard a question so
important to their material welfare.