Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-11-03
THE REED "BOEE DRY" Law
Epoch n Gigantic Crusade Its I'm
p0Ftance
Communicated
- 81

Lear Sir.
Il was about eight years ago. I
think when pleaded with a con-
nittce Of the Ohio Legislature to add
an amendment to the Rose bill then
up for passage. the amendment pro-
Tidng 500 fne and thirty days in
ail If anyone ordered liquor brought
into q dry county. or If anyone
brough. liquor into dry county. or
if anyone had liquor in his or her pos
session in a dry county.
This was the first "bone dry law
ever offered in this country, and il
was opposed by the Hon. Wayne b
Wheeler, Of the Anti-Saloon League,
and rejected by the committee.
The Anti-Saloon League did not
want prohibition to prohibit because
its officials knew that the people did
not want prohibition if it was going
to prohibit, and the solons of Ohio
cid not want prohibition if il was go
ing to prohibit
Nobody wants prohibition if it is
going to prohibit
The average man is very easily
! persuaded to vote for prohibition if
it is guaranteed not to prohibit The
Reed bone dry" law, passed by Con-
gress and effective since July /, was
a bomb shell in the camp of the Anti
saloon League The devil never
hated holy water any more than these
Gentlemen hate the Reed "bone dry"
law
Until this law was passed the Anti
saloon League had easy sailing. 1t
was sweeping State after State with
The aid of wet" votes. 1t carried
Michigan dry" although the normal
vote in Michigan is probably eighty
or ninety per cent wet"
These successes made the Anti
saloon League a tremendous political
factor Indeed, they made it a ma
ional menace. They gave it a lash
under which the average politician
trembled and cringed.
They enabled it even to intimidate
he ministry where the ministry pre-
ferred moral suasion to prohibition
They enabled it to raise millions of
dollars and to get into close relations
with big business throughout the
East.
Bone dry" however, spoils all of
this The wet" voter will not vote
for prohibition if 1t takes away his
right to have a glass of wine, or beer.
or mint julep.
Two elections have taken place
since this law went into effect; one
in Virginia and one in Iowa. In both
cases the people put their stamp of
disapproyal in "bone dry" prohibition.
The Anti-Saloon League made a
tremendous campaign in Ioaw on Oc-
tober Is. Both United States Sena-
tors were on the stump, the Congress-
men were on the stump, the news
papers, daily and weekly, all fell in
line
The great speakers Of the Anti
Saloon League from Bryan down were
in the field. Thousands of preach
ers got into politics with both feet
and the women worked as only women
know how to work
1t was generally predicted that the
prohibition amendment would carry in
Iowa by a two-thirds vote. II has
failed to carry by a simple majority
his means that Iowa will repeal
tatutory prohibition and come back
into the license column. 1t spells
doom to the prohibition movement.
It means, in my opinion, that all of
the prohibition States will reject
prohibition.
1t means that Ohio viii defeat pro-
hibition by a big majority at the COM
ing election. 1t means that the Ii
cense system viii prevail and it is
to be hoped that the liquor trade, and
the press, and the public will see to
it that the license system is improv-
ed until every factor Objectionable to
tie general public will be eliminated
from the liquor business.
Yours very truly,
T. NJ. GILMORE.
President National Model License