The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1917-04-20

Organizing the House
In response to the invitations of
the Anti-Saloon League about so
members met in the Y. NJ. c. A. hall
Wednesday morning, January 3, at 9
o'clock, two hours before the Legis-
lature assembled in its first session.
We introduced the men to each other
and told them to organize for their
own fight, to take off their coats,
roll up their sleeves and go In to
win; and they did it.
We turned the bill over to the COM
mittee of five (of course we suggest
ed who would be good men for that
committee) and relinquished (nomi-
nally) all responsibility in their favor.
We told them, OF course, that we
would be on hand with what informa-
ton we might have for their benefit
and might offer few suggestions;
and we were in the Suggesting"
business for three months.
The success was due to the leader
ship of Rev. J. S. Lewis, member
from ono of the small towns. Tho
Superintendent of the League went
to that town months before tho pri-
mary and put it up to the churches
and to prominent men to send Mr..
Lewis sure, for their own credit and
for the great cause. The town had
never sent the same man for q Sec
ond term, but they did It" this time.
Mr.. Lewis was the keenest, most
forceful and most tactful leader I
have ever seen on a legislative lob,
and he did not NEEDLE with other Is
sues until he got his bill through. He
stayed right on his job. The League
paid his expenses to various confer
ences in other cities and furnished
supplies for his pulpit several Sum
days.
We beat the liquor Dealers asso-
citation all out on newspaper adver-
Using. We kept up a tremendous
bombarding of the pastors and tenn.
perance forces.
Public Hearings
One of the most effective forces OF
the whole campaign was the address
of National Attorney Wayne B.
Wheeler, OF the Anti-Saloon League
of America. This was given to full
House in Representative Hall, Feb
ruary u, and convinced many of the
members and furnished facts and ar
guments to our friends.
Mr.. Wheeler's address was by far
the greatest, for the purpose intend
ed, of anything ever given in New
Hampshire.
When we first appealed to Mr..
Wheeler he and the other national Of
fcers in Washington did not think
the case in New Hampshire was
worth enough to spare Mr.. Wheeler
for two days, but we got him, and he
was the determining factor In adding
New Hampshire to the list of dry
states.
After getting the inspiration OF our
fight he was willing to give us the
whole national force and certainly
sent us help to abundantly Justify all
expense the National League put into
our care.
The wisdom Of the National League
helping in a state fight 10 abun DAINTY
justified in our case.
Finances
Nothing succeeds like success
We expected to go In debt In the
urgency of the campaign. We did
not spare dollar where we thought
an effort would help. The day the
bill passed we had balance on hand
Of more than $500, with every bill pro-
vided for to the last dollar. Il was,
however, by a strategic move by
which we opened the opportunity to
our friends. We did the right thing
at the right time to find the. dollars.
OF course the imminence of war,
the decision of the Supreme Court on
the Webb kenyon and West Virginia
laws and the Reed "bone-dry" amend
ment were important factors, but
these factors would scarcely have
been noticed if we had not been ready
to make the best of them. We had
our sally ses and trimmed for the
breeze.
We can scarcely believe It possible
that New England state, conserva-
tive old New Hampshire, has broken
the she'll of conservatism and entered
the list of modern Prohibition
states with the South and West.
Our brewers of longtime powers
under the old Prohibition law of 1855
are dumbfounded that they must close
up May /, 1918. Surely God hath
done great things for u.s." and by u.s..
whereof we are glad"
To all human reason II was abso-
lutely impossible. Our seven licensed