The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-11-10
THE ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE

Some of the wiser and more sincere preachers in
Illinois are shocked at the attitude Of the Anti Saloon
League toward the senatorial contest in that
The league is actively supporting Frank L. Smith,
the Republican candidate for United States Senator
in spite of the fact that Smith, though chairman of
the Illinois State Commerce Commission accepted con-
siderably over hundred thousand dollars worth of
financial assistance from Sam insult, biggest utility
magnate in Illinois.
Smith is dry and George Brennan the Democratic
candidate, is wet. But Hugh Magee, eminentIy re-
spectacle and bone dry is running as an independent
candidate against the two old party candidates. both
of whom took insult money. And Magee is backed
by preachers and other drys who the immortality
OF the extravagant of in party primaries.
But there is something to be said for the consist
ency of the AntSaloon League. If that organization
were really making moral crusade of it's fight for
prohibition 1T might reasonably be criticised for sup
porting Smith But its fight for prohibition not
and is not a moral crusade; it is economic
paign, the purpose Of which to make labor more
efficient by taking beer and other intoxicants away
from it,
That is why Big Business put I'D the money to
finance the AntiSaloon Leagues fight for prohibition
Big employers of labor not interested much
in the morality of their employees their efficiency
as workmen Had morality been the big consideration
the employers wouldn't have stocked their cellars
with all kinds of liquors when they took them away
from employees.
So the Anti-Saloon League, as a political agency
carrying out the of their big contributors
not concerned much about the moral side of
prohibition about the economic SIDE
The trouble about the Illinois situation is that
many preachers all over the country turned their
pupits to the hired speakers the AntiSaloon
League in the belief that the fight for prohibition
a moral crusade Most of them didn't know that
the man behind the gun Big Business. Or that
the big vote the Anti Saloon League delivering
the so-called church vote.
Hence the surprise Of preachers and some
members of their congregations when they discover
that political morality immortality is of secondary
Importance to the Anti Saloon League leaders and
that it makes little difference what kind of a
citizen candidate may be otherwise SO long as he Is
dependably dry.
But that is attitude for the politicians of
the AntSaloon League. If national State govern
ments crowded with incompetent officials if we
have weak Governors, weak congressman weak I,egs-
lators and weak judges 1t is in part to the fact
that candidates for office judged by ANYTHING
but their attitude toward prohibition
What if Frank L. Smith is the chosen candidate
of the public utilities of Illinois? he did get
big contributions toward his primary campaign from
Sam insult? What If he chairman of the State
commission that regulated rates gas electricity
and street railway transportation the blood of
Sam Insults public utilities? He is dry And that's
what the Anti-Saloon League is interested in
Some OF those preachers who insist on political
morality even on the part of dependable drys may
get spanking from the Anti-Saloon League if thew
don't watch out They should forget that the
league is the official political arm Of the church
militant.
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