The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1917-09-14
DEMOCRATS NOMINATE WESTM0RELAND DAVIS, WET
CANDIDATE, FOR GOVERNOR OF
"0LD DOMINION"
RAN ON COMMON SENSE" PLATFORM
Mother of Presidents Became DRY November 1916 But
Is Safe and Sane Again-Primary Regarded as
Nationwide Blow at Prohibition
BY Louis selhold, in The New York World.

sentiment OF the people or the old com
monwealth against the domination of
the Rev. James Cannon, Jr., the head
OF the Anti-Saloon and other dry cr-
CARNATIONS
The Rev. Mr.. Cannon, who publish.
cd daily newspaper at the Virgin 8
capital, virtually was the political boss
of the stale. He had whipped into
Inc every member Of the Virginia del
ogation in the lower house, with lac
exception OF Carter Glass, far famed
for his political courage and indepeAd
ence. incidentally he was the father
OF the federal reserve act and Is run
ming the Democratic national organi
zation as secretary much more skill
fully than at any time in It's history.
The faction headed by Mr.. Glass
which now is celebrating a victory
openly charges that the result of the
Virginia election was in the nature OF
a protest against the combination OF
corrupt Anti-Saloon League and a
corrupt political machine.
1t Is the further contention of this
faction that the people rebelled agains.
the unholy alliance.
One OF the slogans that shocked the
professional refomers during the pri
mary contest was ITO He'll With the
Preacher-Po Politicians Another was
"To He'll With Unholy Alliance
These irreverent sentiments naturally
were interpreted to reflect the opinion
Of the majority of the voters that gen
uine reform and professional machine
politics do not harmonic.
People VS.. Church Gang.
between the preacher-politicians and
the Democratic machine was fiatter
ing TO both. Their initial venture
caused the state to so dry. That was
only last November The issue In the
recent campaign was not one OF PROFIT
bition or of saloons. but whether the
people OF the state would permit the
combination OF religion and politics TO
dominate their affairs.
The Martin-Swanson following had
not met defeat In sixteen years until
last week. In 1901 Swanson succeed
ed A. j. Montague, now representa-
tive, as governor. William A. Mann
another machine man. supplanted
Swanson. During the Mann regime a
law was passed increasing the tax on
saloons for the purpose OF staying the
prohibition movement.
MIR. Stuart, the present governor
while not a machine man in the literal
sense OF the word, was not opposed by
the Martin-Swanson organization. The
two senators-and bosses-resisted the
Anti-Saloon League and combinations
OF preacher-politicians to dominate the
politics OF the state until year or two
ago. Then they surrendered. The
state went dry.
Then the people. angered over the
combination plus the Reed bone dry
law, turned around last week and
whipped Mr. Ellison, the Martin-Swan
son-Anti-Saloon League and preacher
politician candidate for governor and
Mr. Pollard the straight-out prohibi
ton candidate, who was conceded to
have had no chance from the start.
The most important figure In the
Virginia situation as also in q national
sense. was the Rev. Mr.. Cannon. He
admittedly. is one OF the most re
sourceful politicians in the country
and up to last week had string OF
victories to his credit
Cannon's Power Wcakens.
Mr. Cannon, as chairman OF the ma
tional legislative committee of the
Anti-Saloon League of America. was
and is. the head OF the most powerful
lobby that ever rendered miserable the
life OF a national legislator
II was Mr. Cannon who compelled
his congressional supports to inject the
Objectionable bone dry" amendments
in the food control bill. IL was Mr.
Cannon that President Wilson appeal
ed TO modify the dry demands and per
NIT the passage Of the food bill. Il is
the opinion OF some OF the most con
servajive members OF congress that
II Mr. Cannon had refused 10 comply
with tfn l'~"si Tents request test oil
strength be' cen the President OF the
United States ard the head OF the dry
lobby would have resulted in a victory
for the latter, SO great was the fear OF
members OF congress OF the enormou:
power yielded by the dry leader
The result in Virginia has swept
away good deal of It's power and lost
10 the dry cause for the time being
Of least. large number OF its congress
sional supporters.
Whether the drys will recover any
OF the lost ground remains 10 be seen
but there isn't any question but thai
they have their work cut out TO stem
the tide apparently setting in against
them.
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