The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-03-06
WINE ANDBEER
ADVOCATES TO
EAhEA TICKET
Ex< cutivc Committee of Bet
ter Citizenship Body to
Pick Candidates
MINISTER'S At MEETING
Claimed They We're Deceived
Into Believing Convention
Was "Dry" One

Despite strenuous opposition from
delegation Of seven Bismarck
preachers, a "wct" organization today
was launched in North Dakota which
has been dry since it was admitted
to statehood in 1889.
The divines protested that they
had been deceived by placards ad.
vertising the meeting into thinking
It was "dry" affair. The signs
had advertised the convention rs
mot wet meeting" over the namc
of the Better Citizenship Association,
an organization launched by advo-
Gates Of y change in the Volstcad act
to permit the manufacture and sale
OF light wines and beer.
w. 5. Casselman, local police mag
istratc and dry advocate, nominal.
ed Rev. e. +. Strutz, Evangelical
minister, to be chairman of the meet
ing but Strutz lost when a standing
vote disclosed that three fourths of
those present were light wine and
beer advocates.
In speech to the convention, Rev.
A.. A. Holmes, Baptist minister, ex-
plained that he and his cohorts had
been deceived as to the nature of the
meeting. He didsnot challenge their
right to hold such meeting, he said,
but said he would be glad to "iock
horns with any wine or beer advo-
cate in public debate on the SUBJ
ject.
Executive Committee Named
The nature Of the meeting having
been definitely decided, the aelc-
gates made preparations to launch
candidates for congress on light
wine and beer platform. An execu-
tive committee, composed Of F. W..
Mees, Mandan, permanent chairman
of the organization; A. +. Becker,
Linton, secretary, and G. &. Radke,
Golden Valley, treasurer, was author
lied to name candidate for CON-
gress in each of the three districts in
the state and also to name candi
date for both the long and short
term for senator. The committee al
SO was empowered to determine
whether the slate should enter the
June primaries on the Republican or
Democratic ballot. II the Republican
ballot is chosen, as seems probable,
there will be three candidates under
the Republican emblem, L. B. Hanna,
Fargo. "Rear' or Coolidge Republi-
can; Gerald +. Nye, incumbent, Non
partisan, and the light wine and beer
advocate.
c. p. Stone, Fargo. prime mover in
calling the, meeting here, is expect
ed to get the senatorial endorsement
Of the organization which he has
brought into being.
Mees, who was the only North Da-
kOta state senator voting against
ratification of the eighteenth amend
ment, failed to arrive at the cOnven-
ton and Stone acted in his stead
He also called the meeting to order
as temporary chairman.
Prohibition Declared Failure
In speech Stone stressed the fact
that the meeting was called in the
interests of better citizenship and
to give the public an opportunity to
express it's sentiment on the prohibi
ton question. In a verbal passage
with one of the ministers he contend
ed that it has been failure, has con-
tributed to general breaking down
of respect for law and has warped
the moral consciousness OF the pub
lie.
"This organization is not wet"
said Stone. at believes in 100 per
cent law enforcement. As long as
the Volstead law is on the books we
believe in enforcing it. But it has
not received the popular support
that q law must have to be really ef-
fective. Violations of the law are
smiled at and rather than have that
condition we believe it should be
modified to permit people to have
light wine and beer. We are 100 per
cent against the saloon but we do
believe that light wine and beer will
relieve the present intolerablc con-
dition. Answering charges by the
preachers that the placards advertis-
ing the meeting had been misleading,
Stone pointed to the fact that they
set forth specifically that light wine
and beer advocates were asked to
give their support to the movement.
Temperance Movement, Says Stone
1.-THE vets have it," remarked Rev.
Strutz as his candidacy for the CHAIR
manship failed.
II beg your pardon" said Stone.
"This is temperance movement"
Stone said that 317 delegates regis
tered for the convention from all
parts Of the state. When the vote
on the chairmanship was taken, how
ever, only 60 persons were in the
hall and one fourth of these repre-
sented the ministers and their dry
supporters.
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