822 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKU 



tutioual campaign there was no organized. " di'y " 

 opposition to the amendment. Many temperance 

 advocates over the State lent their support to it. 



Nor has the system in operation proved false to 

 their confidence in it. It has largely reduced the 

 number of saloons, put the business on a responsible 

 basis, erected effective barriers against the operation 

 of saloons by questionable characters, and bids fair 

 to take the liquor issue out of politics. 



Neither " wets " nor " di^ys " should have re-open- 

 ed the old question so soon after the adoption of the 

 license amendment. And, in this connection, it is 

 to be noted that each side in the present controversy 

 opened its fight by accusing the other of precipitating 

 the hostilities. 



The Plain Dealer considers the "wet" amendment 

 so loosely drawn and so obscure in meaning that it 

 would be dangerous to write it into the constitution 

 under any circumstances. Against the adoption of 

 either "wet" or "dry" proposal we believe it may 

 be fairly urged that it would change the license sys- 

 tem before the system has had a chance to prove its 

 success or failure. 



Therefore, the Plain Dealer recommends to the 

 voters of Ohio that they defeat both amendments. 



"With the fore part of the above I heart- 

 ily agree; but when it comes to the state- 

 ment in regard to the license plan I shall 

 have to make some objection. The wets 

 and drys did in convention agree substan- 

 tially to the license plan as wj have it; but 

 when I say this, permit me to ray also that 

 the Anti-saloon League objected to a license 

 law for the State of Ohio, fi.st and last; 

 but when we ascertained pretty detinitely 

 that the voice of the people was pretty sure 

 for some kind of license law, the Anti-sa- 

 loon Leagaie, as a sort of compromise, 

 amended and modified this license law until 

 tlif liquor people themselves did not want 

 it. Plowever, it was put to vote and carried, 

 but under protest from ths "Anti-saloon 

 League from beginning to end, and when 

 llie wets began to see where they were, it 

 was under protest almost from beginning 

 to end with the wets also. Witness the 

 result. The Avets were in such haste to get 

 rid of the license law that they started out 

 thus early to abolish local option and every 

 thing else as above. 



In the next to the last paragraph we 

 read : " Each side in the presenl controver- 

 sy opened the fight by accusing the other 

 of precipitating hostilities." In reply to 

 the above I think I am in position to know 

 that it was the wets who first started out 

 with their amendment to do away with all 

 present temperance laws. The Anti-saloon 

 League did not think of State- wide prohi- 

 bition just now, and would not have thought 

 of undertaking it had we not thus been 

 crowded into it. That you may know I 

 have good reason for thinking I am right 

 in this matter, permit me to say it was ray 

 privilege to be present as one of the charter 

 members of the first Anti-saloon League 

 meeting ever held; and I have been in 



close touch with it ever since, and have 

 been consulted continually in regard to its 

 every movement; and just as soon as there 

 was a glimpse of what the wets thought of 

 undertaking I was promptly notified, and 

 gave my vote that we should, under the 

 circumstances, mass our forces for State- 

 iride prohibition. 



It is true the license law has reduced the 

 number of saloons; but the statement that 

 " the operation of saloons by unquestion- 

 able characters has been a success " is un- 

 true as almost everybody knows through- 

 out the State of Ohio, especialh in the few 

 remaining wet counties and wet towns and 

 cities. The Plain Dealer says, "Neither the 

 wets nor the drys should have opened the 

 old question so soon." This may be true; 

 but it indicates how unsatisfactory it has 

 been to both wets and drys, and to the 

 present decision that no law nor compro- 

 mise can be effected that w!ll suit both 

 sides. There can be no com.promise nor 

 any common ground between the forces of 

 darkness and light. " Ye cannot serve God 

 and mammon." 



I am glad to hear that the Plain Dealer 

 considers the wet amendment so " loosely 

 drawn and obscure in meaning that it 

 Avould be dangerous to write it into the 

 constitution of the State under any circum- 

 stances." Amen to the above But when 

 the Plain Dealer closes up by recommend- 

 ing that the people vote against State-wide 

 prohibition, I am both pained taid surpris- 

 ed, as I have said before. The Plain Deal- 

 er has been our favorite daily paper so long 

 that I can scarcely remember when we did 

 not have it in our home. Many of its 

 editorials have been such excellent sermons 

 that I have quoted them again and again 

 on these pages ; but I have always felt hurt 

 Avhenever I have seen glaring advertise- 

 ments of liquors on its pages. When, as a 

 result of Billy Sunday's work in Pittsburg, 

 two great dailies rejected all liquor adver- 

 tisements, I gave place to the announce- 

 ment and asked why the Plain Dealer could 

 not follow suit; and I repeatedly urged 

 them to follow the Chicago Tribune and 

 other prominent periodicals, a id throw out 

 their liquor advertisements. lhei>' have 

 replied courteously, and at times at con- 

 siderable length, but yet these same liquor 

 advertisements continue. Our good friend 

 from the Postoffice Departnient suggests 

 that the advertisements they carry may 

 have something to do with their decision to 

 be against State-wide prohibition. Should 

 tliey join the temperance people, the Chris- 

 tian people, the schools and churches, and 

 I ho educated class of our State, to be con- 



