The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-16
Committee Suggests to Local
Option League That Both
Bodies Cooperate.
NOVEL IDEA PROPOSED
BY LEAGUE WORKERS
Would Have Three Men Named
to Collect and Publish Data
as to Effect of Prohibition In
Dry States of Union.

Aberdeen, S. D., Oct 15.-The new
Aest-aHd- mest-HepeL suggestion made :
for getting accurate information to
the voters of the State regarding the
advantages or disadvantages of pro-
/ hibition has been made by the dry
| campaign committee of the South
! Dakota Anti-Saloon League through
! it's president, c. a. Howard. Of this
city in letter to General Marke ".
/ Sheafe. president of the South Dakota
/ Local option League
! IN this letter the dry organization
! suggests that In view of the fact that
statements coming from the liquor
interests as we'll as those coming from
/ the prohibition advocates are open
| to the charge Of prejudice in the
minds of great many voters, the
only way to get information that cam
not be said to be prejudlced IS to
! have an investigation of conditions
under prohibition made by an un-
prejudiced- committee,
| IT therefore suggests that the South
! Dakota Local Option League select
representative business man, the State
dry campaign committee select one,
and the two thus chosen select 81 third,
who shall visit the several States Of
! the West and Northwest now dry and
/ examine into all the conditions as
/ they are affected by the operation of
! the prohibition law.
| Speaking of the offer that the drvs
/ have made to the supporters of the
/ saloon system, G. A. Howard, of this
| city said:
| Made in Good Faith.
The charge is often made by those
/ opposed 10 prohibition that prohibi-
tionists are fanatical and given 10 mis-
representation. This offer Of ours is
made in good faith and we wish to
! demonstrate to the voters of this State
tAat-me4- eeFf--At4 sincere Rtt-i fur
thermore that we are willing to rest
! our case on the I'm pre- JUDGED testt-
! mony of representative citizens in
/ states that are now dry In view Of
! the fact that the South Dakota Local
! Option League has mixed up its fig
ures once or twice through some mis-
calculations, we expect that it will
welcome this opportunity to join with
us in an effort thus to find out how
prohibition actually does work The
State dry campaign committee of the
| Antt-Saloon League in lighting con-
sistently for a dry State because in
common with thousands of voters in
| the State ii believes that the saloon
i system is not only wrong morally, but
| that II is great economic waste and
social and political curse We have
made no statements except those that
! were directed against the lHuOr SyS
tenn and have not attacked any indi-
vidual or INDUCED In any personali-
ties, nor do we intend to do SO. We
| believe we can win by leaving out the
personalities and sticking to our text"
The challenge of the drys is con-
tinued in the following letter:
Aberdeen. s. d, Oct 4, 1915.
General Mark w. sheafe, Box 81.
Huron, s. d:
State dry campaign committee 7 was
instructed to write you as the presi-
dent of the South Dakota Local OPP
Ition League 10 secure your co-opera-
ton in an effort to provide the voters
Of this State with absolutely reliable
and at the same time unpretudiced
testimony concerning the effect OF
prohibition where 1T has been adopt
ed
Prominent Temperance Men.
We assume that your organtza-
ton. which we are assured in vour
literature is composed of prominent
temperance men, is opposed to pro-
hi}f!ttor, not so much because yeti de-
sire saloons, as because of the fact
that you fear the results Of prohlbi-
ton
"Our understanding Is that YOU are
Of the opinion that prohibition can
+ not he satisfactorily enforced and
that it does not reduce the amount Of
crime committed in State and that
II will iniure the financial and econo-
mic situation in the State. We as
sumo further that you would Just a
soon support prohibition If YOU were
convinced that 1t was beneficial to
State and could be as well enforced
! as are other laws
I'VE recognize the fact that anv
statement coming from either side in
this contest is open to the charge Of
prejudice in the mind OF the con-
sentative voter. IN order. therefore
that the voters of South Dakota shalt
: have the facts from an unprecedented
source. we suggest that a COMMITTEES
; composed of three business men Of
the State. one of whom we will
choose, the second to be chosen by
your organization. and the third to
be named by the first two, visit such
dry cities and States that are within
reasonable reach OF South Dakota.
We suggest Colorado. Iowa Kansas,
Idaho, Oregon and Washington be-
cause these States. with South Dakota
and others. make up the great West
and Northwest, and conditions are to
a large degree similar to ours.
This committee will be expected
to make an impartial canyass OF the
. business places to ascertain what eff
feet. IL any. prohibition has had on
the business and economic life of
these States with special reference to
the volume of business transacted.
, the percentage of cash business and
the effect OF prohibition on collec-
tons. They will also inquire into the
; number OF new bank deposits in saw
ings banks as compared with the
, number under license and also what
class of people are making new de-
posits. They viii examine the Police
Court records and report the number
Of arrests for drunkenness and all
other crimes as well as the cost of
a maintaining the Police Court and po-
, lice force under prohibition as COM
, pared to license. They will also re-
port concerning the number of poor
I being helped by the public, and con-
suit not only leading and representa-
, tive business people. but interview
| mayors, heads of police departments,
| judges. prosecuting attorneys, lead
ing newspapers and any others except
ministers who are in a position to
! al gnEo q 90