Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-06
''WETS" CANNOT
RUN ASSEMBLY
Antisaloon League Man Gives
Notice That Wafer Wagon
May Run Over Them

The Rev. b. L. Scott, superin-
tendent of the Pittsburgh district
of the Pennsylvania Antisaloon
League, thinks it futile for the
wet" members of the Pennsylvania
Legislature to attempt to prevent
the ratification of the prohibition
amendment to the Federal Consti-
| tuition. lie says Pennsylvania will
! be dry" whether or not the LegiS-
'lature ratities for more than SO
states will approve the measure
! Those Legislators who try to block
action at Harrisburg, he says, will
I so to defeat in 1920 if they attempt
| to regain their seats. Mr.. SCOTS
statement in part follows;
| I'm the last few weeks we have
! been interrogated many times as td
what Pennsylvaniu's Legislature
which is to meet the first Tuesday
in January, 1919, would do on the
question of ratifying the constitp-
tional prohibition amendment After
careful and thoughtful inVestiga-
ton, which covers the entire state
we are saying that, if the interest
now manifested continues, the next
Legislature will ratify the amend
ment.
zone of the most important rea-
sons for this confidence lies in the
stand that the governor elect has
taken in openly saying that he
cannot support a candidate for
speaker of the House who does not
stand with him in favor of ratiii-
cation. We are convinced that Sen
ator w. G. Sproul has strengthened
his position by such an announce
ment and that he is regarded as
the leader in the effort that will be
maze. His own position has been
clearly defined and he has empha-
sized this several times since the
election. To be sure, the magniti-
cent vote that he received, coupled
with the fact that this came from
the Independent counties of the
state and largely from the dry"
sections in Allegheny and other
western counties, clearly shows that
the electors were confident that he
would make good his promise.
Then again, a careful canvass of
the members of both the House and
Senate shows that, unless there is
a slip, the votes will be forthcom-
ing in favor of ratification. The
fact that PENNSYLVANIA will be dry"
whether the Legislature ratities or
not, is making many of the un-
pledged members careful in their
action. BY March 1, 1920, the pro-
hibition amendment will be part
of the organic law of the nation.
That will Danish the liquor inter-
ests from politics. and the office
holder who has political ambitions
is sure 10 understand the situation
in which he will find himself when
he comes up for. reelection to the
next Legislature.
There is every reason to believe
that the breweries and distilleries
are closed for good; that the retail
and wholesale liquor business will
end at midnight, June 80, 1919, and
that after that moment, as a politi-
cal factor, the henchmen of John
Barleycorn will be gone never to
return.
Already plans are being made
for the International Antisaloon
League, based on the principles of
democracy, for a prohibition law in
every country of the world. Our
men are in Scotland, Japan, Aus
tralia and England and will soon
be in other countries to counsel.
guide and plan for the abolition of
the liquor traffic. \ dry" America
is the beginning of a dry" world.
I'm the meantime there will be no
letup in the conflict in the United
States. In Pennsylvania. a move
ment is on for Il concerted effort to
present the facts to both houses of
the next Legislature. In addition to
the many meetings that will be held,
other means are being used and the
Antisaloon League is organized now
as never before. We have every
reason to feel encouraged and
Pennsylvania, we are confident, will
ratify.'