Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-04-24
LIQUOR TRAFFIC
F|END|SHLY PLANS
TO HAUNT PEOPLE
DRY LEADERS AROU SEQ.
CHARGE "WETS" AS WILFOL-
LY MISUSING STATEMENTS

GAS the date for the execution of
the legalized liquor traffic In Michi-
gan draws near it fiendishly plans to
haunt the people with its spirit OF
outlawry after it is legally dead"
was the comment Of Cyrus p. Keen,
Associate Superintendent of the Anti
Saloon League when discussing the
advertising and circulars which some
of the wholesale liquor houses are
sending out broadcast.
The liquor interests with charact-
eristic disregard of expressed public
statement" Mr.. Keen says, 'have dug
out such sections of the prohibition
laws as relate to the possession Of
LIQUOR for legitimate uses and arc
advertising them in such a way as to
lead the unsuspecting and ignorant
to believe that they will have the ut
most freedom in possessing liquors
in quantities without limit after May
lst. They are even going to the ex-
tent of wilfully misusing for this
purpose statements of Food and Drug
Commissioner Woodwork about the
application of the search and seizure
provisions. of the prohibition law as
relates To searching private dwell
ings. This propaganda OF the liquor
interests is vicious attempt to bring
prohibition into disrepute and thus
aid them in their campaign for the
so-called 'beer amendment" an their
efforts to overthrow the prohibition
law and again license the liquor traf-
fic."
The efforts of the "wets" have occa-
stoned renewed activity in the dry"
camp. Rev. j. G., Halter of Durand,
= - A. an ~. ~ ORG Conn
mittee of the Anti-Saloon League of
Michigan, who is at the League head
quarters i'm Detroit, says with refer
ence to the ..wets" assurances that
liquors can now be purchased and
stored in private; dwellings without
any danger of search and seizure by
officials, "Of course anyone is at lib
-erty to fall for the bid of the wet
dealer and lay in a supply of his
goods before May 1st. He may be-
lieve as the wet propagandists tell
him, that their homes where such Ii
quors are stored will not be searched.
But they will do well to beware lest
these assurances after all prove to
be pitfalls and snares."
Eve expect that there will be
violations of the prohibition law. The
VETS told us during the State cam
paign that if prohibition became a
law they would not obey it. And
doubtless this time they told the
truth. There is no occasion for worry
ing about it, however, as responsible
ity for the enforcement of this law
rests with the officers of the law aid
ed, when necessary, by the constabu-
larry of the State and Nation, and
they will attend to it. However it
behooves the .drys' to thoroughly
back them up in this work in every
community"
Mr.. Halter is laying plans for a
big conference of the Anti-Liquor
forces of the entire state to be held in
the Prudden Auditorium at Lansing
on Tuesday, April 30 This confer
ence is being called" Mr.. Halter an
nounces, Ito lay plans for the most
thorough cooperation with the Off
Gals of Government in rigidly enforc-
ing the laws prohibiting the sale and
manufacture of liquors, and for the
purpose of planning an aggressive
campaign for the defeat of the pro-
posed brewers amendment" And
also to open the fight for the election
of legislature which will ratify the
prohibition amendment to the Federal
Constitution" Among the speakers
who will address the conference will
be Ex-Governor Willis of Ohio; Hon.
l.. d. Dickinson; Commissioner Fred
L. Woodwork; Congressman Cram
ton; DR.. Samuel Dickie; Rev. Joseph
A. Vance; Pliny w. Marsh and Wayne