Headline: An Explanation
To the Editor of The Mirror
Dear Sir: - I have just learned that A.E. Coone, general organizer of the Alberta Temperance and Moral Reform League, has issued a circular letter warning the public, and especially Stony Plain and Lac Ste. Anne constituencies, against certain unnamed persons who are represented as holding meetings, taking collections, etc., representing themselves as agents of the League. I am the "persons" referred to, for I am the only one doing any public temperance work in these constituencies at present.
Allow me to explain: I am one of the oldest or earliest residents here, west of Stony Plain. On account of political legerdemain in shifting boundary of constituencies I have resided in both Stony Plain and Lac Ste. Anne constituencies. My heart and soul is in the temperance cause, and I have been in every fight for the last 40 years. When I learned of Alberta's decision to have a vote on this question in 1915 I resigned my position, where I was drawing a salary of $1,000 to take part in the campaign. My services were offered to the League but the latter were too slow moving to_______________________vincial convention, but was not well satisfied with some of their actions, and especially with some of their official appointments, and I told the president that in these stringent times we could not afford offices at $2,000 and expenses. I told the president I would hold myself responsible for the organization of the Stony Plain constituency and if possible Ste. Anne also, and I prepared myself and set out furnishing everything for my trip and depending on the Lord for my support. Up to the present, though the meetings have been fairly well attended and deep interest manifested, as proven by the fact that my audiences sit two and a half hours without tiring, yet the collections have averaged but a little over $1 per meeting. But for the kindheartedness of the people in entertaining me free of charge I would be deeply in debt already. Compare with $1,750 salaries for general secretary and general organizer.
At every meeting I make it plain that I am not sent by any society, that I take orders from nobody; that I am accountable to no one but my conscience and my God; that I have no support but what the people choose to give at the close of the lecture. Before the meeting closes I ask them to choose a committee to take charge of the polling subdivision, to distribute literature, to canvass voters and to select scrutineers. The names of these committees I at once report to the general secretary, Temperance and Moral Reform League, Edmonton and I have his acknowledgements and assurances that they are entered on his books, and that literature is promptly being forwarded. I also had his request over the phone for a general write-up summarizing the facts and giving my opinion on the outlook for the constituency of Stony Plain. I have spent four weeks and expect to finish this week.
On Monday, March 1st, I happened to drop into the general offices, Edmonton, and A.W. Coone, general organizer, asked me who had appointed me to act? What did I do with the collections? He said he had some complaints from some who said I was doing more harm than good. I demanded names. He refused to divulge them. I told him if he had any such letters they were either from persons who had a spite, or from some politicians who thought I stepped too heavily on his corns. He asked me to call off my meetings till he had a chance to inquire. I said impossible as I was billed to near end of March. He offered to put me on salary if I would call them off and let him investigate and find them untrue. I declined. I had reasons: 1st, breaking faith with the public who could not be reached in time to explain; 2nd, I am old enough to be Coone's father, and in experience in temperance work I am old enough to be his great grandfather, and I didn't choose to put myself in a position to be "judged" by a man infinitely my inferior; 3rd, his manner. So I turned and left him. Now comes this circular letter, of which you doubtless received a copy. "Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad". Truly this is a mad action.
I have since learned that the party who wrote the letter to Coone is a resident of Wabamun district, an intimate friend of Coone, who never heard my lecture and knows nothing about it. This letter writer is one of a gang who ten years ago tried their utmost to do me the greatest possible injury and they have kept up their evil conduct on every conceivable occasion since. Years ago I exposed their conduct to the Edmonton Journal and three of the gang threatened a libel suit, but I am still waiting for it to proceed. Six years ago the same gang were parties to an infamous gerrymandering of the constituencies so as to put me in the Lac Ste. Anne district in such a way as to paralyze my chances to represent it in the Alberta parliament. Two years ago the lines were shifted again so as to put me in Stony Plain. This gang have warned strangers to beware of D.H. Lent as a dangerous man. Yes he is dangerous to crooks and selfish schemers, and they have good reason to fear him.
But is it not peculiar, to say the least, that our Temperance and Moral Reform League would appoint as general organizer one who instantly antagonizes and attempts to paralyze the efforts of one of the oldest and most devoted of temperance workers, at the instigation of the Wabamun Tammany gang.
Yours truly
D.H. Lent
Duffield, March 9.
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Historic Note: The Alberta Government did pass Prohibtion legislation in 1916 and the province was theoretically "dry" until 1923. From that time booze that was legal in Canada was run across the U.S. border at night until the USA went "wet" again in 1933. A handy source of non-farm income for the locals and the foundation of more than one current fortune.