New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-04
SUNDAY ALARMS
BOSTON'S WETS'
Liquor Dealers Fear Evan
geliSt Will Make City an
Alcoholic Sahara
From star corsponden, o. M Tribune

From a star Correspondent OF The Tribune ]
Boston. Dec. 3.-"Billy" Sunday has
got the liquor dealers goat.
That is not traditional Bostonese,
but it is the way Boston, taking few
words from the cvangelist's vocabu-
larry, describes the panic he has started
in the ranks Of the liquor men. They
frankly admit their fear that, because
Of Sunday, Boston, the oasis for all
Northern New England, will vote itself
an alcoholic Sahara on December 10.
To prevent this the Massachusetts
Liquor League. nominally the organi-
zation Of retail dealers, but actually
the instrument Of the National Liquor
League and the national organization
Of the brewery interests, is working as
the license advocates have never had
TO work in Massachusetts before. To
date they have spent more money and
sent out more literature than ordinari-
" has been used in a state campaign,
and they declare that they have only
begun to work.
Between now and the opening of the
polls two weeks from Tuesday they
plan to canvass every voter in the city,
to send more than 100000 pieces Of
literature to voters and to enlist on
their side everybody who might be
most remotely affected by no-license,
from the banker to the barber.
Billboard Space Cornered
In addition they have contracted for
innumerable page advertisements in
the daily and weekly papers of Boston,;
they have cornered so far as they are
able the available billboard space, and
have planned 70 have not less than
900 automobiles TO carry voters to the
polls. To man these motors and handle
things generally they will turn loose a
small army.
With all this, those in charge Of the
movement declare that they will have
but a small majority Edward II. Pink
han. secretary of the Massachusetts,
Liquor League and its lobbyist on Bea-
con Hill, who is directing the fight, re-
fuses TO give figures. Privately he is
quoted as saying that the VETS will
win bv 1000 votes in a possible total
of $4,000. Last year the majority for
the "wets" was more than $4,000.
Mr. Sunday himself makes no claims,
himself with promising to do
his best
Arthur !. Davis, secretary of the
Massachusetts Anti-License League, IS a
little more talkative.
ave will win" said he. "if that part
Of Boston which con iders itself most
respectable and insists that saloons be
kent out Of its territory does as well as
what are commonly called the cheaper
sections. II Dorchester and the Back
Raw do as well as Charlestown and
South Boston there is no doubt OF the
result. Mr.. Sunday undoubtedly is lin
ing up those people
Churches TO Aid Campaign
Among the important things known
70 be on the schedule are two sundays
70 be devoted 70 the booze question
bv Mr.. Sunday, and services in every
Protestant church in the city. Whole
sale arrests for illegal registration and
repeating are hinted at. In the registra-
tion of voters, which closed ten days
ago. the license interests placed 1000
names on the voting lists. Most Of
these are in the so-called slum dis
tricts. This registration has been un-
der investigation. with what results no
one will 5cate.
II was not part Of the plan Of those
who brought Sunday to Boston to make
b.s coming a mo license" campaign.
At one of his first meetings, however.
his references to the liquor traffic were
received with declarations that Boston
could be made dry" Then Sunday
learned that in Massachusetts, the
Con,nn.d an paRe < column