History
To a oi t rnin off ot ntia
members initially, they used the
word “Reform”, but Sabin and
her 11 original founding friends
were determined to achieve
complete repeal.
Sabin’s strategy was similar in many
ways to those of the Anti-Saloon
League (ASL), called the most
powerful lobbying group the U.S. had
ever seen. Her approaches were
similar to those of the late Wayne
Wheeler, an unimpressive-appearing
Kansas lawyer, but a brilliant
tactician and relentless campaigner
for the prohibitionist goals of ASL:
• Emphasis on one issue, Prohibition
repeal, in this way, designed to
appeal to both Republicans and
Democrats.
• In the 1930s, when the Depression
really hit home, emphasis on jobs
that would be created by
resurrection of the liquor industry,
hi h ha
n th ar
t in th
country; AND generation of badly
needed tax revenues for
governments.
• Appeal to mothers about the
dangers to their children from
prevailing lawlessness and outright
contempt for the law.
• Appeal to mothers over what was
happening to their daughters—when
saloons were legal, respectable
women were usually afraid to enter,
due to social stigmas; now, they
openly drank with men and openly
entered known speakeasies, with
boyfriends or even alone.
• The ASL had advocated women’s
ffra a a o r o
ort o
WONPR counted on women’s voting
power to help the repeal cause. Also,
Sabin’s leadership, clearly showing
her society, superbly dressed
credentials, seemed to inspire
women from the middle and even
lower economic classes, instead of
repelling them.
• Well organized letter writing and
t
ra
in a ai n to in
n
elections at both federal and
state levels.
• Although WONPR didn’t stress the
point, they would admit, if pressed,
that states and local areas should
be permitted to remain dry, if
they desired.
violations