The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1922-01-13
Many New Wet Groups

have meant division OF orr forces. /
Some of our most perplexing prob
lens have been TO devise ways aud
means OF getting together. but it has
not been SO with orr opponents. In
our legislative fight VIC used to have |
the Pink slip Organization of Peoria
the Retail Liquor Dealers Association |
with headquarters in East ST. LOUIS |
and the United Societies OF Chicago |
These organizations funetioned sep |
arately in the primary and election to
the liquor peoples advantage, but |
joined hands and hearts in an undi- /
vidcd legislative fight led by Anton
Cermak secretary OF the United So
cieties OF Chicago. There needed to T
be a separation between the down |
state and Chicago in securing the I
nominations and elections. but there |
was just one program at Springfield. I
SO we find today thirty wet organiza-
tions have sprung mp within the last
year aud arc building along the lines
VI NsAaA iAslHAdlAN. opHiN hllotiS AiiN I
labor people. some among the business
men, and all with common program.
The Wet Program
There has come to my desk within
the last month scores OF samples of
literature OF the Association Against
the Prohibition Amendment These
have come from drys who have been
solicitated TO join this organization.
They outline the program for all
these wet organizations in these
words:
/. To get the Nolstead act re-
pealcd
, TO permit every state tunder
the concurrent clause to pass
its own enforcement act
3. To then remove the Prohbi-
ton Amendment from the Con-
stitution.
They figure the third to be impossi-
bic until they have accomplished the
first and second. In other words,
VI lliS abbiN pun NHlpiNSiAi1bA wv |
the country to such degree that the
people will become Disguised with
non-enforced Prohibition. and then
they say the amendment can be taken
from the Constitution itself One OF
our friends wrote them for further in
formation and received the following
reply under date OF December 1921:
Wet Organization Plan
The Association is going ahead
splendidly, and | believe that our
progress during the past thirty. days
is the finest showing we have made
Tor similar length OF time during the
entire history OF the Association, We
arc launching new local campaigns
every week. and have eight more
branch organizations than VIC had a
month ago. 1t is our intention to off
set Ant-Ssloon League money and in
fucnce by building a political organ-
cation in every Congressional district
and this work is we'll under way and
is being pushed as rapidly as possible
They boast OF more than a quarter
OF million of paid up membership
and promise million by the begin
ming OF the new year They have on
their stationery such we'll known
names as Kermit and Archibald 3.
Roosevelt. Irwin S Cobb and Stuy
ycsant Fish. and by use of these names
they are inviting members to the
association.
Wet Newspapers Mislead Public
Among the chief OF these opponents
VIC find many OF the newspapers.
Possibly the place in this movement
in which we are at the greatest dis
advantage is the attitude OF many of
tho newspapers Next TO the church
the public press is the most powerful
institution OF our country. As the day
OF large public meetings has de-
creased the influence OF the press has
increased, but with its greatest power
it has also brought about greater dan
gers. 1t is guest in orr homes at all
hours. We admit it on the ground
that it brings the truth and comes as
an unbiased means of publicity. We
class them often as independents, but
find by close inspection and observs
ton that they are propagandists. We
welcome these heralds as ono inter-
csted in the welfare OF the community
and find out later that it is only the
champion of some special interests.
We find it to be more interested in
dividends than in doing good. We
read an editorial and think that it
represents the sentiment OF news
paper with hundreds of thousands OF
readers, but on analysis discover that
it is the sentiment of just one man ,
with poor, puny, undeveloped soul /
with no interest i'll any reform but
opposed to all. who resents the world
L.. L. |, H.. -