Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-04-04
ROCKEFELLER TO
BACK PROHI PLAN
White Light of Publicity
To Be Used in Enforce
ment Of Dry Laws

AASAAS ~ III Lo WO
CORNWALL, N. Y. April 4. -
Pledges from John D. Rockefeller,
il, and others of financial support
of 'the Yonkers plan" of enforcing
the national prohibition amendment
were announced here last night by
William H. Anderson, head of the
Anti-Saloon League of New York, at
h the annual state conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church. Mr.
Anderson, in the course of an adj
dress in which he formally opened the
campaign of the Allied Citizens OF
America to nationalize the method o
law enforcement which, has given
Yonkers wide publicity, declared that
IN New York alone 100000 persons
are back of the movement to intro.
duce it into other states.
Explaining that the Allied Citizens
of America was incorporated two
years ago to uphold American ideals
and the United States constitution
and particularly the 18th amend
ment," Mr.. Anderson declared that
its purpose is to put into operation
all over the United States the "suc-
cessful experiment in practical eivics"
which, he said, had been made in
Yonkers, his home city. In telling of
its results there. he said:
There have been raids, arrests,
seizures of large quantities of liquor,
explosions from the police force for
.connivance with violators, indict-
ments, convictions, fines and prison
sentences. City officials no longer
are Indifferent or defiant and there
has been created tangible majority
sentiment for law observance. New
York pays $50,000,000 a year for
law enforcement and the Allied Citi-
zens OF Yonkers have merely insisted
that its police and civic authorities
shall earn their salaries. The situa-
ton IS far from perfect, but there is
motion and in the right direction.
"Protestants, Catholics, Jews and
those of other religions in Yonkers
who reverence order, country, hu-
mainly and God are united in the eff.
fort. Under the plan evidence is
obtained respecting violation of the
prohibition law for the sole purpose
Of publishing it in order that citizens
may know the degree and kind of
enforcement they are getting from
their public officials in return for
their taxes. Everyone paws taxes
IN some form and they have a right
to know what they get for their
money.
We have always refused to turn
over any evidence to be used to Sc
cure convictions; that is the very
essence of the plan. Publicity in the
form of organizations affidavit
telling of liquor infractions helps Of
ticlals who are doing their best and
enables the wedding out of those who
wink at violations. Thus, as we
have operated in Yonkers, we shall
. enable the people of any community
to exert the same pressure of public
opinion to force officials to do their
duty
Mr.. Anderson said that the Allied
Citizens was designed to supplement
the Antl-Saloon League and that
there are "'no initiation fees, dues
or assessments He declared tho
records of the Anti-Saloon League
would show that that THAR 566600
persons in the United States are reg
ularly contributing to it's activities
Organization of the Allied Citizens,
he said, will be started by the league
this week in every state. No sala-
ries, he said, are paid to any of it's
officials.
Quoting from Mr.. Rockefeller's
pledge he read: "The question of the
wisdom and propriety of national
prohibition is no longer at issue, hav-
ing been decided by the adoption of
the Federal constitutional amend
ment and sustained by the United
States supreme court 1t is now the
law of the land, predicated upon a
constitutional amendment, which is
the most solemn form of legislation
possible under our forms of govern
ment.
''To fail in the observance and en-
forcement of such law strikes at
the very foundations of orderly gov
eminent, and is in that way an at
tack upon civil liberty, for in re-
public there can be no freedom for
the individual if there is no respect
for and enforcement of the laws
which have been enacted in the man.
ner prescribed by the people them
selves in the constitutions which
they have adopted.
while the general legislation of
nation and state determines the con.
ditions under which enforcement
must be carried on, yet in the last
analysis enforcement is local mat
ter and must be worked out in every
locality, and the people of each 10.
cality must face and assume their
o,,r;L,;li+nr fnr. Tho crnntinn and