The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1929-06-01
Measuring Anti-Saloon League Success

Two things provide accurate test of the success and
need of the work of the Anti-Saloon League.
/ The maintenance of its standing and influence in
the Legislatures Congress- This shown not only by
the friendly attitude members of those bodies but also
by the of all the efforts of the vets to weaken
repeal prohibition laws and the enactment o. sucn
laws as will strengthen and promote enforcement
. The second test is the degree OF publicity gained
for the cause you represent Until the prohibition ques
ton is settled right it business to see that 1t is
kept before the public and remains burning issue.
We must that is has adequate publicity until the
correct policy is adopted and having been adopted Is
put into full force and effect.
APPLYING these tests to the work OF the Anti
Saloon League during the past shows the League
has been exceedingly successful We have lost no
ground We have defeated every effort of the vets to
recapture any territory held by the drys in ILL
nos Naturally we taken a long step forward in
the enactment of the Jones law The provides
that the court its judgment may inflict heavy a
penalty for the violation of the prohibition law as 1t has
cusomary required for the violation of the income tax
law In other words last Congress has decreed that it
is as bad TO ruin CITIZEN OF our country as mas pee
to cheat government out of few dollars. Heretofore
the latter has been treated as much more helnous
crime
AS to the application of the publicity test, are
entitled say that there has never been more success
full year the AnSaloon League history in the State
of Illinois or in country at large When you find
fifty columns printed by paper in seven days and
thry-lVe columns printed by another Chicago paper
in the same time bearing directly indirectly upon
the subject prohibition and designed to throw some
light or rather darkness on the subject it apparent
that there subject that occupies the American
mind completely the subject OF prohlblton None
receives attention in the in society in
tiona prohibition and its enforcement striking the
luuor traffic vital spot and that if the vets do not
succeed blocking it in the next few years all hope OF
doing so their part will be gone
g. This display shows that the work of the Anti-Sa-
loon League be exceedingly effective or it would not
draw down upon its head the continued condemnation
that is heaped it by the wet press.
it were true that they sold more liquor than ever
before that the failing under the prohibi
ton laws that the vets stronger than they used
to be then there would be for the present at
tack and why great newspapers should devote
tad SbO he faulf Of
the necessity of its repeal InerSpersed with the
ments against prohibition and distribution in the daily
newspapers there constant references to the Anti
Saloon League by innuendo against its officers and the
character of the entire League. But great publications
are not wasting their time in attacking organizations
which are futile and attacking men who accomplish
nothing. The harder they fight us and the btterer
their attacks the stronger the proof that destroy
ing the liquor business.
The trouble with booteggers is nothing and has
not been created by prohibition The effort to enforce
the prohibition laws has simply revealed the existence
and desperate character of their crininay. The first
war this country had occurred in 1894 during the
reign of George Washington and is bootleggers