Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-16
DRYS DEMAND DRIVE
AGAINST GOV. cox
Meeting of National Council OF
Anti-Saloon League Called for
Next Week.

al Executive Council. OF the Anti-Saloon
League has been called TO meet IN Column
bus next Thursday, and friends and OPP
ppncnts of Gov. Cox are awaiting de-
vclopmcnts. as IL is known the meeting
will have to do with a proposed drive
against the Democratic nominee by the
dry forces.
Ii is said that under grave provocation
some wears ago Gov. Cox issued from the
State Capitol a statement in which he
called Rev. Pcrley 4. Baker, president of
the Anti-Saloon League, "a liar and a
CRATER.
Although the national platforms of
both the leading parties are silent on
prohihltion enforcement, the league IS
ANXIOUS 20 have the question injected
INTO the campaign. The National Execu-
tive Council has been summoned TO con-
slider national questions, and 1T was ad-
mtted NJ the local Anti-Saloon League
headquarters that the call was broad
enough to permit discussion OF and de-
cision on the question of giving TO or
Withholding from candidates for the
Presidency the Endorsement OF the league.
IL guess we can force that ISSUE, said
an official Of the league yesterday. II am
sure We can force It into the local campaign
IN this State We have organized every
thing organizable IN Ohio except the
brewery workers and we have disor
ganixed them.
The same official said that he thought
SENATOR Harding and Governor Cox would
hc formally called on TO declare them
solves on prohibition enforcement If they
should fail to refer 10 II In their speeches
uf acceptance.
This statement WAS accompanied by
a threat that if either candidate refused
Co comply with such demand, hrs re-
cord on matters relating TO prohibition
which have come before him officially
would he printed and scattered broad
osst among the voters throughout the
land
There = no doubt m the mind of per-
Honr close 10 Governor Cox that he will
refuse to take any dictation from the
Anti-Saloon League. 1t is known that
the Governor hopes next weeks meet
ing Of the leagues executive council
VIII afford 10 hum an opportunity OF ex-
poeing the tactics of the organization and
rcbuke il for the attitude IT has adopted
IN dealing with public officials and can
didates. The Governor is prepared TO
handle the league without gloves.
Judging from what was learned to
day from prominent league official here,
it appears that even In advance of next
wcek' 5 meeting II has been determined
that the league will be arrayed against
Governor Cox, despite the fact that his
record AS Chief Executive of Ohio Is one
of rigid law enforcement and that while
the Democratic National Convention
Was In session he issued statement IN
dicating that he had no sympathy with
those who favored a lax or liberal con-
struction and enforcement of the pro
hlbytion amendment.
The league has taxed Senator Har-
ding with voting dry, but talking wet,
but there Is every indication that the
council would vote an Endorsement for the
Republican nominee. Senator Harding
voted for submission of the Eighteenth
Amendment TO the States. He voted for
the Volstead act He has only voted against
the Anti-Saloon League on one measure
"a prohibition act for the District OF
Columbia. He voted for a referendum on
the question IN the nation capital, but
the league did not want a referendum
there any more than il has wanted re-
fcrrndum In New York or ID any other
commonwealth.
The league has been continuously at
ODDS with Governor Cox throughout his
thrce terms as Ohio's Chief Executive
and looks on him as pronounced wet,
1t found fault with his appointment Of
Billy" Mason of Hamilton County
whom the league characterized as
brewery labbylst As License Commis
sioncr in 1918, although there is evidence
20 show that after his appointment he
enforced the law. 1t objected to state
nient, made by Governor Cox, when he
signed prohibition enforcement bill last
year W which he expressed the opinion
that IL was unconstitutional. The bill was
submitted 20 the voters under the initia-
tive and referendum and was defeated.
An attempt TO get two-thirds vote In
she Legislature TO put it on the statute
books without referendum had pre-
vlousiy failed.