Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 December 1909 — MIONSAN GOING DRY, SAYSHANLY [ARTICLE]

MIONSAN GOING DRY, SAYSHANLY

Uses Maps to Show State Has Been Closing Its Saloons. ANTI LIQUOR FORCES GATHER Seaborn Wright Telia of the Progress of the Movement In the South and Declares That In Georgia the Whisky Interests Have Been Whipped “to a Frazzle”—Convention Is Being Held In Chicago This Week. Chicago, Dec. 7. —How Michigan—a large part of it—has gone on the water wagon furnished a striking theme for Former Governor J. Frank Hanly of Indiana before an audience which filled the Chicago Opera house. It was a general union preachers’ meeting held under the auspices of Chicago Federation of Churchtes* council to welcome the delegates to the first biennial convention of the Anti-Saloon league of America. Ex-Governor Hanly unrolled a 1907 map of Michigan. It showed a few white spots which represented anti-saloon counties, but the greater part of the map was black. “Hey! It’s unside down!” yelled a watchful listener. Upside Down Two Years Ago. “So was Michigan upside down two years ago,” retorted Hanly, quick as a flash. “Michigan was drunk then. But look at It now that it’s begun to sober up,” and he unrolled another map in which the white spots seemed about as numerous as the black. “I am asked to tell you of the great revolution that is going on in the northland, and I bring glad tidings. In every state of the north there is widespread awakening. I' have passed a month this year in Pennsylvania and while we may be far from victory in that Gibraltar of the liquor traffic of America, the movement has been started well on the road toward winning. The Anti-Saloon league has cemented the men and women of all shades of faith and of all churches into alffightly power which is fast becoming irresistible.” "Licked to a Frazzle." After Hanly came Seaborn Wright, for many terms a’ member of the legislature of Georgia. “Down in the south we have just about licked the liquor traffic to a frazzle,” declared Wright. "Five states there have driven out the saloons in the last three years and 21,000,000 people in the south live in saloonless territory." The convention of the league opened with a banquet Dr. Howard H. Russell, founder and organizer of the league, presided. Dr. William O. Shepard, Dr. James A Patterson, Congressman James O. Miller, Congressman R. P. Hobson and Congressman J. W. Langley were the speakers.