Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 July 1909 — THE “NON-PARTISAN” PROGRAM. [ARTICLE]

THE “NON-PARTISAN” PROGRAM.

In a recent issue of the Indianapolis Star the Rev. E. S. Shumaker, the state head of the Anti-Saloon League, Is quoted as follows; “We have many complaints relative to ‘blind tigers’ and 'bootleggers’ in different parts of the state. The offlccers, particularly at Frankfort, Flora, Lebanon, Rockville and Sullivan, are having considerably trouble with the ‘suit-case brigades' of ‘bootleggers,’ and it appears that the officers at Delphi and numerous other places are going to have considerable trouble.” This is an evil which seems to follow naturally in the wake of prohibition leglslaton, whether county or state. It Is a sneaking, disreputable business and leads to sneaking and disreputable practices. So long, however, as the federal government issues its licenses and Interstate railways and express companies carry liquors, as the United States supreme court has decided they have a right to do, the “blind tiger,” the “bootlegger,” the “suitcase” peddlar, the “original package” dealer, and similar venders will do business.

There are signs that the Republican politicans and the leaders of the Anti-Saloon League are laying the ground work for a new game which they hope to play successfully in the next campaign. Fearful of the open support of their old allies, the Republican politicans hope to profit through a “non-partisan” program that the league is now mapping out. The Indianapolis Star, the Republican state organ, has this to say of the league's plans: “Profiting by their experience in past temperance fights, the officers of the league believe that a fight for state-wide prohibition should be wholly of a non-partisan character. They maintain that the only reason they supported the Republican party last year was because it declared tor county local option, whereas the Democratic party was in favor of only the ward and township unit. They believe it unwise to allow the question to be made a partisan political one.” The Democrat is party, of course, will pursue the even tenor of its way, and it can only do it with being honest with itself. It cannot hope for any support from the AntiSaloon League unless it commits itself to state prohibition, which it has never thought of diong. ExGovernor Hanly has bespoken for that issue for the Republicans. And then there is the old-fashioned Prohibition partjf, which has a prescriptive monopoly of the issue on which it bases its rights to live.