National Protective Bureau Membership Stamp

Quote:
1891:

These five organizations are, of course, in league and usually supply men, money and literature in every local contest where there is a possibility of the saloon being defeated.

The Protective Bureau, so called, is chiefly a distributing agency for saloon literature, edited by Cyrus C. Turner, with headquarters in New York. According to The American Brewers' Journal, during 1902-1905 this bureau sent out fifteen different tracts, aggregating more than 10,000,000 pages. Most of this is mailed directly to voters whose names and addresses are furnished by friends of the trade.

These organizations have in their employ some of the best legal and editorial talent in the country, not to protect their rights, but to mislead the people ; not to insure justice, but to escape it. In addition they have an army of men going over the country like minions to annoy the strong, to tempt the weak, to deceive the credulous, and to tighten the fetters on those who are bound.

They maintain under one name or another a mutual protection fund. If a member is put on trial for violation of the liquor laws, his expenses are paid from this fund. If convicted, the fund is drawn upon for payment of his fine. With this fund delays may be secured, needed testimony may be procured, and, perhaps, acquittal may be purchased.

To meet this aggregation of evil, good people must mass their might and their means. No mob, however large or determined, can successfully oppose well drilled, well seasoned, well equipped soldiers. To conserve their energies, to economize in time and means, and to direct their forces, temperance people must organize. Papers and parties and politicians fear the liquor traffic because it is organized. When temperance people are as closely and thoroughly organized as the saloon forces, their wishes will be respected. "As a man thinketh into the ballot box, so is he."

Quote:
1895:

The National Protective Bureau is the title of a new organization of whisky men which has just beeu perfected in Louisville. The formation of the Bureau was largely the work of President George G. Brown, of the National Wine and Spirit Association, who has often advocated the establishment of such an organization to combat the prejudices against the whisky trade. The headquarters of the Bureau will be at 221 West Main street, Louisville.

Quote:
1909:

In 1904 the liquor trade, through its National Protective Bureau, announced it had circulated within twelve months over 4,000,000 specially prepared leaflets attacking the Prohibition argument. Since that time, at a low estimate, 20,000,000 of these leaflets have been distributed broadcast and in the most carefully selected fashion.