The American Issue
ILLINOIS EDITION
Volume XXV WESTERVILLE, OHIO, SEPTEMBER, 1930 Number 8
OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY OFFICERS OF THE ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE
DRYS URGED TO VOTE FOR MRS. O’NEILL
IGNORE THE WETS’ NON-BINDING REFERENDUM
Dominant Factor in Present Situation is the Attitude Taken Upon
Prohibition Question by Mr. Lewis and Mrs. McCormick
The Anti-Saloon League of Illinois, representing to a large extent the
churches in action against the lawless liquor traffic, takes a deep interest in the'
existing political situation in Illinois. We believe that the dominant factor in the*
present situation is the attitude taken upon the prohibition question by the two
candidates for the United States Senate with the approval of their respective1
parties. One is outspokenly wet and the other is neutral.
The drys of Illinois cannot safely rely upon such representatives. In these
days the pressure put upon lawmakers by the wets is very great. Candidates'
must have the courage of their convictions or prove faithless to their constitu-;
ents. In the primary election last April the wet and dry question was one of the
foremost issues in the choice of all candidates, and consequently, was in the fore-'
front of the United States Senatorial contest. The position taken by the candi
dates on the subject of prohibition had much to do with the votes they received.'
For a candidate who posed as a dry in the primary now to accept a referendum as
a guide looks like sheer betrayal. If the Republican party candidate had made
the statement before the primary election which was made at the Springfield
convention that she would ignore her own professed convictions on the subject
of prohibition and be guided by the results of a political referendum, she would
not have received the votes of thousands of drys and would not have been nomi
nated. 1
.The injection of this suprious referendum into the campaign now Is utterly.’
unjustifiable even on the ground of political necessity. The Republican candi-'
date on a clean-cut dry platform was in no danger. The normal Republican ma
jority in this state is about 350,000, and with the candidate maintaining a firm
. position on the prohibition question she would have received not only the normal
Republican vote, but a considerable vote from the dry Democrats.
In 1922 and 1926, when referenda were taken in connection with the general
election, Yates and Rathbone, candidates for congressman-at-large In a similar
position, ignored the pitfalls of the referendum, maintained positions conspicu
ously dry against wet Democratic opponents and won by huge majorities. For
years, every time a wet Republican has run against a dry for an important state
office the drys have won—congressman-at-large, governor, senator.
The position now taken by the Republican candidate gives ample ground for
the fear that when a professed dry candidate who is sure of election turns neu
tral before the election she will in all probability if elected prove equally unre
liable. " i
SUPPORT LOTTIE HOLMAN O'NEILL
We, therefore, desire to direct the at
tention of the drys of Illinois to the can
didacy of Mrs. Lottie Holman O’Neill who
hag filed as an independent candidate for
the position of United States senator. Mrs.
O’Neill was the first woman elected to
membership in the Illinois legislature and
has been reelected for- four seccessive
terms to that high office. She is a woman
of high ability, and has made an admira
ble record and has convinced her asso
ciates in the legislature of her sincerity.
She has been true and fearless in support
ing measures she believed were for the
public good and has won the full confi
dence of all her constituency. If elected to
the United States senate her well-known
character and record will enable her to
represent the highest ideals of American
womanhood. We urge all the drys of Illi
nois and all citizens who stand for high
ideals in government and want clean pol
itics to give Mrs. O’Neill their hearty and
unqualified support, and urge that they
us their influence with others to promote
her election.
IGNORE THIS REFERENDUM OF
THE WETS
In order that full attention may be con
centrated on making her candidacy a suc
cess and electing her to the senate, which
we believe to be possible and probable
under the circumstances, we respectfully
suggest that the drys of the state should
not allow their attention to be diverted
to the referendum which the crafty wets
are once more injecting into the coming
political contest.
The Anti-Saloon League and many other
temperance organizations in years past
have been giving thorough study to the
referenda as proposed by the wets in their
campaign of agitation. As a result thirty
one cooperating organizations assembled
in a federated meeting and unanimously
adopted the following resolutions as an
expression of their polic&5a
Resolved, That it is theVpense of this
board thatethe temreranc^forces of the
United Sta^. shoul4,not be averted from
the main is^es irv^hy electfon to so
called wet ano^ry referojida on «*e Eight
eenth Amcndmwt or rheviationahprohi
bition law, w’hidfy’ referenda are without
authority under the'Cpnstil!(j|3pn and which
are legally futile and can Vm&e no find
ing effect. In any st$fe referenda having
to do with law’s or *£j^,te constitutional
provisions which will "Ip^ve a legal and
binding effect the te'igierance forces
should take an active part.
In harmony with the above action of
the federated temperance forces the Anti
Saloon League of Illinois, at its annual
meeting held at Springfield, in May, 1930,
adopted the follojving resolution:
Whereas, It is the declared purpose of
certain wet political leaders in Illinois to
bring on in the November elections a ref
erendum upon the prohibition question;
therefore, be it,
Resolved, That we, the Anti-Saloon
iLeague of Illinois in annual meeting in
line with our traditional policy declare
that all referenda not binding upon en
forcement officers or determinative of leg
. islative policies, are matters of indiffer
ence to this League. We therefore advise
the churches and friends of prohibition to
■Ignore utterly this wet maneuver. Be it
known, everywhere that this call for a
ref erendum on the prohibition question in
the November elections is a move of the
wets. It is a jiart of the wet strategy to
keep the situation stirred up and con
fused.
The real referendum on the prohibition
question is in the elections next November;
therefore w7e urge all friends of prohibi
tion to concentrate upon the election of
dry candidates to the United States sen
ate, the national house of representatives,
and the legislature in Illinois, also to sup
port dry candidates for other political of
fices that have to do w7ith the enforce
ment of the prohibition laws ,
(Continued on P?ge 8)
MRS. LOTTIE HOLMAN O’NEILL DRY CANDIDATE FOR
UNITED STATES SENATE
MRS. O’NEILL IS IN EVERY RESPECT A
STRONG, TRUE PERSONALITY, BORN IN PIKE
COUNTY, ILLINOIS, OF SCOTCH IRISH DESCENT,
EPISCOPALIAN IN RELIGION, HOOVER REPUB
LICAN IN POLITICS. FIRST WOMAN MEMBER OF
THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE, SERVED FOUR
TERMS IN THAT BODY, WON FULL CONFIDENCE
OF ALL IN HER ABSOLUTE SINCERITY AND HER
FEARLESS SUPPORT OF THINGS SHE BELIEVED
TO BE FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD. SHE STOOD ON
HOOVER’S PLATFORM, A TRUE PARTY LEADER.
SHE IS IMMEASURABLY PREFERABLE TO
EITHER OF THE OTHER TWO CANDIDATES, AND
IF ELECTED CAN TAKE HER SEAT WITHOUT
DISHONOR TO HERSELF OR THE UNEAS’' DIS
TRUST OF HER CONSTITUENTS. f > •
MRS. O’NEILL’S CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS ARE LOCATED AT
168 WEST JACKSON BOULEVARD, SUITE 803, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
PUBLIC COOPERATION IN i
PROHIBITION ENFORCEMENT
Business, Civic and Industrial
Groups Aid in Promoting Better
Observance and Enforce
ment of the Law
The department of prohibition enforce
ment of the federal government has is
sued a 70-page booklet entitled. “Public
Cooperation in Prohibition Law Enforce
ment,” which ought to be read by every
citizens interested in the observance and
enforcement of the law. The value of this
booklet as an educational medium to in
crease interest and intelligent cooperation
in the enforcement of prohibition, may in
some measure be grasped from the fol
lowing excerpts:
. Public cooperation is an important fac
tor in prohibition law enforcement .
Leading groups in the business and civic
life of the nation are giving the govern
ment cooperative support and thus pro
moting better observance and enforce
ment of the law.
Public cooperation has a vital bearing
hpon the success of enforcement. In re
cent years it has had a pronounced effect
upon the government’s program to extend
enforcement lines offensively and defen
sively.
The government’s policy has been to es
tablish cooperative contacts in important
channels of activity, where better under
standing aids effective law enforcement
and helps the cause of good government.
Groups which manifest practical sup
port toward the government’s objectives
include:
Railroads and express companies.
Real estate boards and property own
ers.
Civic agencies and enforcement leagues.
Public utility transportation companies.
The chemical and other industries.
Automotive and allied companies.
, Local traffic authorities.
Permittees handling non-beverage liq
uors.
These few leading groups are cited as
typical examples of cooperative public
support. It should be noted that general'
cooperation of the public at large is evi
denced in substantial form in many other
private and semi-public activities which
cannot be elaborated within the limited
scope of this treatise.
For the purpose of brief factual presen
tation the cooperation of the typical
groups mentioned is discussed. Among
some business and industrial leaders co
operation is extended wholeheartedly as a
matter of good business practice and also
perhaps, in many instances, from whole
some patriotic motives.
Some business organizations voluntarily
foster law observance for sound business
reasons. This rule permeates American
Industry over a wide range. But law ob
servance, wherever it is manifested, has a
direct bearing upon law enforcement, by
the upbuilding of greater respect for
law and, in turn, lessening the problems
of enforcement authorities.
PROPERTY OWNERS BAN VIOLATORS
Property owners in many principal cities
have placed an ironclad ban upon speak
easy proprietors.
The padlocking of bootleg retail-sales
places during the past few years has;
prompted systematic defensive efforts by
leading real estate boards to evid indi
' ( (.(Continued on Page 8),