Evening star., 1917-01-08
Churches and Temperance So
cieties Unite in 0pposi-
ton to Referendum.
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED
VOICING THEIR PROTEST
Vote by District Citizens Would Be
Invalid and Nulifed by the
Courts, Speakers Hold.

Churches of all denomizlations and
temperance organizations were repre-
sented at the meeting held yesterday
afternoon at the New National Thea
ter to voice an opposition to giving the
people of the District the referendum
on the liquor question. Banners of the
various organizations were displayed
| on the stage. the oldest one being that
Of the Wesley Chapel Temperance So
ciety. which was organized in 1861.
Seated on the platform were minis
ters representing practically every de-
nomination, members of temperance
organizations and others. among them
being Miss Anna Adams Gordon. presi-
dent of the w. c. T. U. Overflow meet
ings were held in Grand Army Hall
and in the park in front of the theater.
They were addressed by Rev. Z. c. Din
widdie. legislative superintendent of
the Anti-Saloon League, and Represen-
tative Cyclone" Davis of Texas.
Andrew Wilson. president of the An
ti-Saloon League. presided at the main
meeting, and Albert E. Shoemaker.
counsel for the organization. took
prominent part in arranging the de-
tails. Mr.. Wilson read from a report
of the committee of Congress on fiscal
relations between the federal and Dis
trict governments in an effort to show
that the referendum could not be law
fully granted, and Rev. George A. Mil
Ter, chaplain, delivered the invocation,
Resolutions Of Protest Adopted.
Rev. C. C. Mclean. pastor of Douglass
Memorial Church. voiced the sentiments
of the meeting in a statement which
tion and adopted. as follows:
we hereby protest against the So
called referendum to the District of
Columbia prohibition bills because it
is Of doubtful validity, and if prohi-
bition were secured by this method 1t
would probably be set aside by the
courts.
"It is impracticable because there is
no election machinery and no standards
of qualification for voting in the Dis
trict of Columbia.
TT would jeopardize the votes of gov
ernment employees to vote at such an
election II they still claimed their
voting citizenship in the states from
the right to vote in two places.
TT is unprecedented, as Congress
never has referred any other question
affecting the property. taxes or moral
the people. We can see no good reason
why the saloon Is more sacred than
other interests that are controlled di-
rectly by Congress without a referen-
dunn.
The proposed referendum carries
scarcely any of the safeguards against
fraud. bribery and corrupt practices
which are found in the state election
laws. and a vote under such a law
would be unfair to the people of the
District and retard any effort in the
future to secure an amendment to the
Constitution under which the people
Of the District might exercise the fran
chise legally.
"a saloonless capital means decreased
drunkenness and crime, increased hap
piness and wealth.
TT means that we shall no longer
license one set OF men to make another
set Of men drunk. and then arrest those
who buy our licensed liquor.
'It means that the nations capital is
keeping step with advancing civiliza-
tion and the 81 per cent of the popula-
tiOn Of the United States who have de-
clared the saloon q national nuisance"
Address Of Judge De Lacy.
Rev. Sam Small, the evangelist, and
Judge william H. De Lacy OF this city |
were the principal speakers at the |
meeting. Judge De Lacy dwelt upon |
the evils of intemperance. and said |
he hoped Congress would pass a bill |
that would stand the acid tests of the
courts. A referendum bill, he said, he
feared would not stand such q test, and
would accomplish nothing.
tN1l hot