The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-01-13

SHAH the AnttS saloon League OF
/, Aincrica contipnc 10 live or shall Il
: de? Way WAS the league founded
! Has IL accomplished the purpose Of It's
/ found mSa II there sufficient reason
! 20 nstify it's continued existence and
actiVity@
| The league was founded twenty;
| ak years ago IT announced as %
platform The Saioon dhe Beveraae
, Liquor Traffic. Must Co II an
J ronnced as its program: Agitation.
! Legislation, Law Enforce ment" 1t
announced az its medium of activity:
The Church in Action Against the
Saloon 1t announced as great facts:
The saloon Is public nuisance. the
! liquor traffic is the enemy Of the eco
homie. social. political and moral life
= the nation: the people are responsi-
NO for the evils Of the liquor traffic
as long as IL operates under the pro
lection of the law. he Christian citi-
ztnship Of the nation is responsible
for the iegaiized liquor traffic Till tina:
CHRISTIAN citizenship has put forth its
hest efforts to destroy il. II announced
as civic duties: This public nuisance
must be ahated; the manufacture and
the sale of intoxicating ii~uors must
he branded as q CRIME: and the manu-
fscturer and the seller must be brand
cd as outlaws.
with such platform, program
principles and methods, the Anti Sa~
inon League, by the testimony of
friend and foe alike, has developed the
greatest most efficient organization in
the nation with the exception of the
Christian church. The league has
covered every state IN the Union with
Its organization, and thirty-four states
are under statewide prohibition today
altogether apart from federal law.
When the league had developed
strength in "A suff number of
states. 1t began Its work in the halls
of congress. In the winter of 1913 IL
secured the passage of the Webb
Kenyon law. end later IT'S passage
over the veto of President Taft In
November. 1912.~ at the Columbus CON-
I, ference. il appealed for dry nation
, by 1920. The vote in the house of rep
reseniatives In December, i9I4 showed
a majority In favor of tho submiss
OF the federal prohibition amendment
! Then came the passage of the Reed
bone-dry law, the District of Column bia
prohibition law, prohibition for the
amy and navy during the war. he
eGoption of the resolution for the sub
mission of the federal prohibition
amendment, the ratification of the
amendment By the legislatures of
forty-five states. the pa usage of the
a. time prohibition bill and finally
the passage of federal law enforce
mont code. followed by its repassage
ever the veto of President wilson
Other organizations notably the w.
| C. T. t., have been of great aid. yet
jjts enemies themselves being Judges,
the sdership and the methods OF the
Anti Saloon League have been exceed
ingly efficient In securing these truly
great results,
Enemies Say "Die."
| Having succeeded in branding the
beverage liquor traffic as an outlaw
wherever the stars and stripes floats
today, is not the work OF the league at
an erde Can there be sufficient jus
tiheation for its further activities :?
Ire enemies of the league are unani-
nous In their expression of opinion
The wet press led by pauers like
| the New York World. the Richm ond
! Times-Dispateh, the Montgomery Ad-
| vertiser, declare the continuance of the
| league liz simply an effort TO furnish
| high salaried positions for men who
are now out of job. and who are not
! willing to work. or who are so in
c)inpetent that they cannot make q
/ living il separated from their fat SAL
! aries. Temperance people are grave
/ ~ advised Ia refuse to respond to the
| appeals of the league representatives
itapers declare the lea que leaders to
be such efficient lobbyists that they
can control congress. and if so, Shout I
easily command fer greater salaries
| ths they have ever received From
an experience Of over thirty years in
! fighting the liquor traffic. have
| learned never to follow the advice of
| the wet newspapers. Indeed it is
us tally safe 10 find out what they
want to do. and then to do the op-
posite.
why ShonidLeaguc Live.
But there are good prohibitionists
who have said to me: why should
| the Anti-Saloon League continue it's
existence? 1t has ccomn1is shed what
| ii set out to do. Now II can disband."
Otfers have INQUIRED why a campaign
V as being carried on for money. now
that federal prohibition has been
adopted,
To these genuine friends OF prohibit
| tion, | VIII reply briefly.