Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-15

LII ~ LOD~A - I4N14NNA .
of members of the Senate and House
pledged to the support of the amend
ment
Bishop Berry, of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, who is foremost
in the leadership movement for the
election OF dry candidates for the
Legislature, realizes the danger of
wasting ammunition. In a recent
speech he said:
The sober citizens of Pennsyl-
vania have their opportunity now.
Public sentiment is Noverwhelm-
ingly with them. They have the
votes. They can elect Sutncient
number of Senators and Assem-
blymen to give John Barleycorn
his deathblow. But it cannot De
done if we persist in waging war
now are that we are about 70
throw away the most strategic
opportunity which has ever come
to our Keystone state by mlser
able little factional chickering's
that are wholly unworthy OF
Americans and Christians.
The eloquent Bishop has clear
conception of the situation. IL IS
regrettable that the busybodies who
are opening themselves to the sus-
picion of being interested in prolonS-
ing the fight against the liquor trafhc
by this bone-headed and arbitrary
course do not appear to see the dan
ger as presented by Bishop Berry.
He is quoted as having admitted
there is doubt that the "drys' Will
elect enough members to control the
Legislature and to have urged all in
terested in the fight against John
Barleycorn to disregard factional
lines and support Republican candi-
dates pledged to the prohibition
amendment, regardless whether they
are Penrose or Ware men. He point
ed out it was no time for the old
personal fued between leaders and
declared Pennsylvania would not
elect a Legislature that will ratify the
prohibition amendment unless "a lot
of citizens who believe that the rum
power should be dethroned, snail
rise above the petty partisanship
which seems now to sway them.
Our one paramount objective" he.
continued, lis to get a dry Legisla-
ture. We must get that Legislature
from the Republican party
Bishop Berry did not miuce words
in advising against the waste OF ef-
forts through factionalism. Why
allow ourselves TO be so small" said
he, when a great economic and
moral issue is trembling in the bal
ance? How can men claim to bel
patriotic in these tremendous days
and fail to recognize the fact that
rum is the arch enemy of our man
power, our industrial efficiency and
our nationwide program of war pre-
parations? Why cannot the good
citizens of Pennsylvania be large
enough Just once to forget the little
chickering's of political bosses and
stand unitedly for men and meas
ures representing the highest pa
Next Tuesday the voters of Penn
sylvania will go to the polls and
nominate candidates of the several
parties for governor and other i'm
portant offices. Those who favor
the ratification of the prohibition
amendment will endeavor, II they
are really in earnest, to nominate
men favorable to the amendment. OF
course, there will be busy little men
who will continue to muddle the
situation by talking about this or
that candidate for governor who IA
vors the issue, when they should
know that all of the prominent can
didates for governor who have any
hope of nomination, have already
pledged themselves to favor the
amendment. This in face of the fact
that the next governor will have
nothing whatever to do with the
amendment-not even to approve or
disapprove it. The whole matter
rests with the Legislature, which
must either reject or ratify, and that
is all there is to It