The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-24
NOT PARTY ISSUE,
ANDERSON ARCHES

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Defends League and Optional Prohibi-
ton Referendum BIN Against Par
tisan Attack and Opposition.
New York, March 2s.---william II.
Anderson, superintendent of the Anti
Saloon League of New York. has
given out the following statement:
THE prohibition party has had its
Statewide prohibition bill introduced
by Senator Wilson, OF Ontario. and
Assemblyman Fullager, Of Yates. An
article in the Backbone, the organ OF
the state committee Of the prohibi-
ton party, emphasizes the fact that
this bill, ff passed. would close every
brewery and distillery as well as
every saloon, makes very vigorous
attack upon local option. and. by In
ference, In the form of properly
frank discussion Of important Ques-
tions, seeks to discredit the optional
prohibition referendum bill, although
1t does not mention II by name.
1.-THE party leaders seem to believe,
Judging from the statement In the
Backbone. that this State prohibition
bill is more popular than the OPP
tionai prohibition referendum bill.
and that anybody who does not stand
for It Ia dragging behind public senti-
ment No Anti-Safoon League sup
porter can reasonably find any fault
with this statement OF party attitude.
which is free from personalities. or
the questioning of motives. The is
sue It raises Ia purely one Of facts
and Judgment.
eff the enthusiastic suggestion Of
these prohibition party leaders be
true, II II more than passing strange
that the man who, according to the
Backbone, was to have introduced
the bill In the Assembly, did not do
It. his reason, we are informed. being
that he would not do 10 unless 1t had
q referendum on II. and the party
leaders would not stand for the ref
erendum. All of which leads US to
the statement of few general prin-
ciples.
Difference Summarized.
'"The difference between the prohi-
bition party and the Saloon
League. a. exemplifled by the State
wide bill Of the party, ana the OPP
tional prohibition referendum bill' OF
the league. which latter has the back
ing Of practically all the temperance
forces except some Of the party lead
err. and ~ further sxemplified by
the campaign for these rcspective
pieces Of legislation. In summarized
in the two following paragraphs.
The prohibition party seems to
to ask Legislature, elected by a
public practically four-fifths OF whom
are disfrenchised AZ respects imme-
diate action on the license question.
to hunt trouble BY assuming the re-
sponsibility for killing the liquor traf-
tic itself.
THE Ant-saloon League believes
that 1t IL foolish and a waste of time
to ask such q Legislature as that OF
New York. elected under such con-
diticns N obtain In New York. to
kill the liquor traffic now by lsgisla.-
tive act. Tho Anti-Saioon League
believes TINT 20 long a. 1t II difficult
to get the Legislature even to permit
the people to vote on tho liquor oues-
ton. IL will be self-evfdently impos-
sible to got It to take prohibition &C
ton itself. The Anti-Saloon League
believes that II IN utterly futile to
talk about prohibiting breweries and
distilieries when four-fifths OF the
people arc not permitted even to pro-
uAblk HtAiOCtASs AAS &AAAa~GAk0oH A@G0-
que believes that to get from one
place to another II Ia necessary to
traverse the intervening space. The
Anti-Saloon League believes that In
any kind Of . moral reform, Il II
necessary to start from whore We arc.
take people ~ we find them. use
such methods as are available. and
30 one step at time toward the de-
sired destination. The Anti-Ealoon
League believes that II five-foot ten
inch man II standing beside q twelve
foot platform and wants to get mp on
the platform and u unable to step II
At one step or Jump up and get hold
and draw himself up. then II II more
sensible to use q ladder ana climb up
in order to do the business that 10 to
be done on the higher level. than II
10 to strain himself trying TO jump
up and stay on the lower level ex-
cept At the intermittent periods when
he IL up In the air. In short. the
Anti-saloon League maintains that II
IL not sinful 70 be sensible.
Whole Before Worst Part.
"The Anti-Ealoon League believes,
and we have reason to feel that the
general public believes with IN, that
New York will not be allowed to
wait to get State prohibition by State
action, but that II Will come first by
national action. That 10. that the
whole nation viii adopt prohibition
bafore the worst part Of the nation
(on the question: adopts II.
.'It In the leagues task to get the
State ~ largely converted and con-
WINGED as may be before that day.
That means more counties Try. cities
swept or honey-combed by prohibi-