Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

Prohibition was an overriding issue in 1914. Sometimes, it affected even such seemingly uncontroversial issues as whether to shop locally.

The Christian Endeavor, a group affiliated with the Central Christian Church in Spokane, issued a blistering resolution criticizing the Buying-at-Home League, which advocated for patronizing local merchants (as opposed to buying mail-order from a catalog).

Why was the Christian Endeavor so upset? 

Because the Buying-At-Home League had issued a pamphlet opposing prohibition on the grounds that it “would be detrimental to home industry.” In other words, the league believed that prohibition would harm the region’s barley producers, hop producers and local brewers. It would also deprive Spokane of the taxes derived from sales of alcohol.

The Buying-At-Home League was careful to say that it was not taking a stand on the serious moral questions involved in prohibition.

This certainly did not mollify Christian Endeavor, which denounced the league’s stand as a “direct attack on prohibition” and a “direct blow to the interest of the homes to which they look for support.”

The Christian Endeavor said it would withdraw its support from the league unless the league “repudiated” its attack on prohibition.