Evening star., 1932-12-13
ANT|-SAL0ON HEADS'
SEEKING NEW VOTES.
Trustees Plan Drive in States
Where Dry Law Has
Been Repudiated.

A decision to seek new vote II
States where prohibition laws were re-
pudiated in the recent elections wa:
made today by the National Board o.
Trustees of The Anti-Saloon League.
The vote will be sought whenever II
Is legally possible to regain the status
of any and all dry laws hit by referenda
The board met to draft general pohcy
for the league in the fight against repea
or modification of dry laws.
Returns to Dry Strategy.
The determination to have States vote
again where they have upset prohibition
laws is a return to dry strategy OF IL
years ago when votes on prohlbltlon
were demanded by the dryS as ire
quently as was legally possible.
Another move decided upon by the
board was the organization OF COM
mittee OF one man and one woman IN N
each voting precinct throughout the
Nation to get dry voters 10 the polls and
inform them on the prohibition stand OF
candidates.
This program will be carried out IN
cooperation with other dry organlza-
tions, but will not be contingent upon
the attitude of other organizations.
Get Special Attention.
states which were listed today in dry
sources as having turned aside from
State enforcement and destined to get
special attention from the Antl-Salcon
League included California. Michigan,
Arizona. Wyoming Louisiana, New Jer-
sey and North Dakota.
Several other States have taken votes
,I,;t tf-i+n
few wears. but these were not looked
upon by those at the meeting as pre-
senting clear-cut issue for revote.
Program Is Laid Down.
A program for resisting both repeal
OF the eighteenth amendment and any
amendment Of the Volstead act was
being laid down today BY directors OF
the league at the conclusion Of their
tour-day convention.
Meantime leaders of two other Ma
tion-wide dry organizations prepared for
their sessions at the Dodge Hctel this
afternoon and tomorrow, The National
Temperance Council consisting OF about
80 dry leaders. headed by ther pfssl-
dent, Mrs Ida B. Wise Smith CT Des
Moines, Iowa, convened at the hotel
this morning, but adjourned TO attenu
the hearing before the House Ways and
Means Committee on modification legis-
lation Their Executive Committee
planned to meet late this afternoon WIN
session of the full council slated 70
meet behind closed doors at the hotei
tonight.
will Convene Tomorrow.
The national conference of organiza-
tions supporting the eighteenth amenaa
ment will convene tomorrow at ~
O'Clock at the Dodge Hotel under the
leadership Of Dr. A. j. Barton OF WI
nninpton, N. c., who has taken prcml-
nent part in the Anti-Saloon League
conference Delegates from 33 dry Or
Plantations plan to attend the sessions
which probably will run into Thursday
The Anti-Salcon League directors
hope to whip their resolutions INTO
shape some time during the day after
having made careful study OF their
whole program not on4y yrs uuiitg h,s. al also at
a midnight conference last night tol-
lowing the annual banquet.
It was understood the program for
the new war on the liquor traffic would
include an educational program, new
organization to be known as the Olym-
DldIS. ana d pOlllLCdl P1oSi all aScAo
to reach out into every voting preclnct
of the United States. There mas oeen
much talk OF q new party and lnde-
pendent dry candidates, and much IN
terest surrounds the nature OF the
leagues political drive.
At the banquet last night at the
Raleigh Hotel, Representative Thomas
L. Blanton raised the question OF dry
support Of dry Congre ssmen, suggesting
the league would do we'll to get benlno
dry members who were fighting 1or
their lives
"Why Does a Dry Vote Wet?"
"Why do dry Congressman vote wet?"
questioned Representative Blanton. :!
don't know. l have tried to understand
how a party platform can control dry
CONGRESSMAN on a moral question.
have tried to figure how party plat
forms could cause a dry Congressman
to about face and reverse a lifetime OF
convictions"
Referring to the Senate Committee
report of January is, 1919, winch. ne
said, found that brewers and dlstlllers
were spending tremendous sums 70 SUP
sidize the press. to subsldlZe leadlng
magazines. to subsidiZe authors Of great
standing. to control Legislatures, TO
elect and control Governors and even TO
elect and control Congressman IN the
Nations Capital" Blanton declared: I
am here to assert without fear OF con-
tradiction that the money spent by them
while YOU poor listeners were asleep was
q mere pittance as compared with the
amount they have recently been spend
ing-a mere bagatelle in comparison TO
what they are now spending 10 Drlng
back beer and saloons"
Recalling a dry luncheon years ago
attended by many Senator's and Repre-
sentatives Blanton looked about the
room and said: Il can't see single
Senator and but one Congressman.
tBlanton was the only member Of Con-
gress present)
Where are they" he demanded.
"What has become Of them? Has the
infamous liquor traffic made towards OF
them? Oh, no! They are splendid men.
But, self-preservation, self-preserVa-
tion!"
Politicians" Blanton said. have
learned they can depend on the vets in
time of trouble Politicians have learned
they can't depend on dry organization
in the United States. Self-preservation,
seeking the path of least resistance.
Why aren't Senators here? Why aren't
Congressman here? Are they afraid
to associate with you good men and
women
Describes Own Campaign.
Telling of his own campaigns as a
dry. in which he said he promised ito
do everything to make the liquor traffic
an outlaw" Blanton said: The Anti
saloon League didn't help me, the w.
C. T. U. didn't help me. Not a dollar
has the Anti-Saloon League ever con-
tributed to any one of my campaigns.
Not single dollar has come from any
dry organization. The bootleggers were
going from county to county against
me. from house to house. The vets
bought up newspaper space, they bought
radio time over big hook-up, spending
$3.50 a speech. The vets threw $4,000
against me. and I had to go and borrow
a horE