Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-10-27
ANTl-SAL00N SUPT.
CALLED TO ACCOUNT
Christensen of Benson Addresses
Pointed Letter to MIR.
Stafford

Benson, Mimi, Oct. 16, 1920.
I am in receipt of two circulars
from you as follows:
"A message from the Anti-Saloon
League of Minnesota" dated October
1st, 1920.
ITO the Voters, Men and Women !
of the Seventh Congressional District !
of Minnesota" and post:dated as Oct !
ODER 10th, 1920.
A. S. League in Machine Politics
1t is very evident from said circu-
lars that you are allowing your good
office to be used for petty machine
politics and have joined hands with
the bunch of disgruntled politicians
who have proven themselves to be
poor sportsmen and losers in trying
to force a badly defeated political
hero upon the voters of this district,
who, very emphatically, in the re-
cent primary election, demonstrated
that they did not care for any more
| of Volstead's representation in con-
gress.
l believe your circulars are camOu-
| tagged to distract from the real issues
| OF the campaign in the district and
| that you are trying to aid the forces
| who are out to "do Kvale' no matter
what means are used; and as a voter
of said district and an ardent admir-
er of Mr.. Kvale, I want you to know
that l resent your action and your
assumed position of adviser in this
| matter.
| From your circulars one is led to
| believe that you think a national cal
| amity is imminent if Volstead is not
returned to congress. Do you advo-
| cate this man being elected for life
| term? What a great catastrophe to
| the nation if this man should die!
What great responsibility rests on
his shoulders! You apparently give
him full credit for the prohibition act
which bears his name. The Minneap-
oils Journel, (not a Kvale paper) I'M
der date of June 13, 1920, in an edit
orial, said in part:
1T was just one of the accidents
Of congress that the duty of drawing
the enforcement act fell to Mr.. VOL
stead" And further it states: "Mr.
Volstead and his committee merely
drew a bill which congress wanted
drawn and which the people by their
adoption of the eighteenth amend
ment had ordered drawn And it
was adopted by congress in response
to the popular mandate"
VoIstead's Shifting Credit Mark
I have seen articles both pro and
con as to the amount of credit due
Mr. Volstead for this act and it ap-
pears to me that his friends want full
credit for him among the "drys" but
are willing to shift the credit to con-
gress or the people when soliciting
votes for him among the "wets" And
since the decision of the u. S. SUI
preme court to the effect that said
prohibition act is legal and regular
in every respect, I believe the SA-
LOON is A DEAD ISSUE. You
might as we'll try to RESURRECT the
SLAVERY QUESTION again as to
try to scare US Seventh district vo-
ters into believing that the saloon or
a period of "wetness' will ever be a
live issue again.
Dry Cause Now Fortified by Women
l believe you know very we'll that
irrespective of whether the chairman
of the judiciary committee in the next
congress be "wet" or dry" such com
mittee would not dare recommend
wet" legislation and if it did So
CONGRESS WOULD NOT DARE
ACT FAVORABLY ON SUCH REC
OMMENDATION. And if congress
did so you know very we'll such legis,
lation would be put before the peo-
pie for a direct vote in form of an
other amendment and every one
knows very well that with the addi-
tional moral aid of WOMAN'S SUI
FRAGE the people are much better
prepared than ever before to keep
the nation dry.
Why is your organization which is
supposed to be of some moral stand
ard in this fight to defeat Mr.. Kvale?
He is a man of more than ordinary,
clean morals; enemies even sought
out his college day records for ':blo-
ches," without avail; he has always
been "bone dry both in act and in
theory. Can you say as much of
Volstead whose cause you have TAX
en- upon yourself to champion at this
time?
kvale an Able commoner
Mr. Kvale is an honest, conscien-
tious man, an ardent student Of econ
omic, social and political conditions
and problems, with natural partial
feeling and sympathy for the COM
mon people as against the great COM
binations of wealth who unjustly prey
upon the shattered and unorganized
classes. In contrast, l wish to state
that Mr.. Volstead, while under oath
in court at Benson last July, stated
he. did not know there were any food
h0arders in the United States. Mr.
Kvale is sure there are and have
been, many food hoarders and prof.
teers in the U. S. for some time and
he requests that the voters of this
district send him where he will be
able to get more accurate informa-
ton, and where he may be able to as
sist in doing away with such unde-
sirables. The majority of the people
of our district are seeking relief. They
have no justification for expecting
further benefit from Mr.. Volstead.
They now turn to Mr.. Kvale who I'M
derstands their problems and is will
| ing to do what he can
In the recent primary election, Mr..
Kvale carried his own ward, town
and county as we'll as Volstead's
county and the district by some g.,
800 majority. He is gaining friends
every day and his election Nov. End,
| in my opinion is an assured fact But