The Illinois Issue
Search this Title
About this Title
The Illinois Issue [LCCN sn2008060405] was a weekly newspaper created in January 1906 for an audience of prohibitionist readers. The Illinois Issue was centered in Chicago, and published in Downers Grove. In February 1912, the Illinois Issue ceased production. Starting in July 1913, the Illinois Issue merged with a weekly national publication called the American Issue [LCCN sn2008060406]. Both papers were organized by a political group called the Anti-Saloon League. The American Issue began in 1896. It then ramped up production in 1909 because the town of Westerville, Ohio, donated a printing plant to the Anti-Saloon League to further the cause of alcohol prohibition.
The January 19, 1906 edition of the Illinois Issue explains that "Our purpose is to set before the people of this state, in a plain way, plain facts in regard to the greatest enemy of the home, the church and the state, and the greatest lawbreaker in civilization---the organized liquor traffic." The Illinois Issue, edited by James K. Shields, successfully shaped public opinion within Illinois against the sale of alcohol. Through the use of articles and political cartoons, the Illinois Issue galvanized believers in the temperance cause. Much like the national temperance movement, the Illinois Issue possessed a strong undercurrent of nativist political beliefs.
Beginning in 1918, the American Issue became a bi-monthly paper. Illinois ratified the 18th amendment to the United States constitution in 1919. The passage of the amendment marked the high point of the American Issue's relevance and political influence. The Anti-Saloon League's publications had a national reach. At its height, the American Issue was circulating nearly 1,800,000 copies per edition. Articles in the American Issue discussed the latest news and the depredations caused by alcohol. For most of its publication period, the editor of the American Issue was Ernest Cherrington, a former teacher who had become a prohibition activist. Headlines such as "Are Speakeasies Ruining our Youth" and "All Illinois Stirred Over Threatened Repeal of Prohibition Enforcement Laws" were crafted by Cherrington to provoke an emotional response to the issue of prohibition.
The Great Depression's economic effects made the idea of tax revenue from liquor sales broadly appealing politically. By 1932 the American Issue spent many of its articles attempting to rebut the claims of anti-prohibition activists. The May 1932 edition argued, "More than ten times as much beer would have to be made as was produced before the war. Or more than ten times the tax would have to be levied on the beer drinker, to bring in the revenue promised by the wets". The American Issue remained committed to prohibition until the end. Finally, in December 1933, the 18th amendment was overturned. Prohibition was over, and groups such as the Anti-Saloon League and their publications went into permanent decline. The American Issue ended publication in 1942.
- The Illinois Issue 19 January 1906
- The Illinois Issue 26 January 1906
- The Illinois Issue 2 February 1906
- The Illinois Issue 9 February 1906
- The Illinois Issue 16 February 1906
- The Illinois Issue 23 February 1906
- The Illinois Issue 2 March 1906
- The Illinois Issue 9 March 1906
- The Illinois Issue 30 March 1906
- The Illinois Issue 6 April 1906
- The Illinois Issue 13 April 1906
- The Illinois Issue 4 May 1906
- The Illinois Issue 11 May 1906
- The Illinois Issue 18 May 1906
- The Illinois Issue 25 May 1906
- The Illinois Issue 1 June 1906
- The Illinois Issue 8 June 1906
- The Illinois Issue 15 June 1906
- The Illinois Issue 22 June 1906
- The Illinois Issue 6 July 1906
- The Illinois Issue 13 July 1906
- The Illinois Issue 4 October 1907
- The Illinois Issue 20 November 1908
- The Illinois Issue 27 November 1908
- The Illinois Issue 4 December 1908
- The Illinois Issue 11 December 1908
- The Illinois Issue 18 December 1908
- The Illinois Issue 25 December 1908
- The Illinois Issue 1 January 1909
- The Illinois Issue 8 January 1909
- The Illinois Issue 15 January 1909
- The Illinois Issue 22 January 1909
- The Illinois Issue 29 January 1909
- The Illinois Issue 5 February 1909
- The Illinois Issue 12 February 1909
- The Illinois Issue 5 March 1909
- The Illinois Issue 12 March 1909
- The Illinois Issue 19 March 1909
- The Illinois Issue 21 May 1909
- The Illinois Issue 18 June 1909
- The Illinois Issue 25 June 1909
- The Illinois Issue 2 July 1909
- The Illinois Issue 9 July 1909
- The Illinois Issue 30 July 1909
- The Illinois Issue 6 August 1909
- The Illinois Issue 13 August 1909
- The Illinois Issue 20 August 1909
- The Illinois Issue 27 August 1909
- The Illinois Issue 24 September 1909
- The Illinois Issue 1 October 1909
- The Illinois Issue 4 March 1910
- The Illinois Issue 18 March 1910
- The Illinois Issue 25 March 1910
- The Illinois Issue 1 April 1910
- The Illinois Issue 8 April 1910
- The Illinois Issue 15 April 1910
- The Illinois Issue 22 April 1910
- The Illinois Issue 29 April 1910
- The Illinois Issue 6 May 1910
- The Illinois Issue 13 May 1910
- The Illinois Issue 20 May 1910
- The Illinois Issue 27 May 1910
- The Illinois Issue 3 June 1910
- The Illinois Issue 10 June 1910
- The Illinois Issue 17 June 1910
- The Illinois Issue 24 June 1910
- The Illinois Issue 1 July 1910
- The Illinois Issue 8 July 1910
- The Illinois Issue 15 July 1910
- The Illinois Issue 22 July 1910
- The Illinois Issue 29 July 1910
- The Illinois Issue 5 August 1910
- The Illinois Issue 12 August 1910
- The Illinois Issue 19 August 1910
- The Illinois Issue 26 August 1910
- The Illinois Issue 2 September 1910
- The Illinois Issue 9 September 1910
- The Illinois Issue 16 September 1910
- The Illinois Issue 23 September 1910
- The Illinois Issue 30 September 1910
- The Illinois Issue 7 October 1910
- The Illinois Issue 14 October 1910
- The Illinois Issue 21 October 1910
- The Illinois Issue 28 October 1910
- The Illinois Issue 4 November 1910
- The Illinois Issue 11 November 1910
- The Illinois Issue 18 November 1910
- The Illinois Issue 25 November 1910
- The Illinois Issue 2 December 1910
- The Illinois Issue 9 December 1910
- The Illinois Issue 16 December 1910
- The Illinois Issue 23 December 1910
- The Illinois Issue 30 December 1910
- The Illinois Issue 7 July 1911
- The Illinois Issue 14 July 1911
- The Illinois Issue 21 July 1911
- The Illinois Issue 28 July 1911
- The Illinois Issue 4 August 1911
- The Illinois Issue 11 August 1911
- The Illinois Issue 18 August 1911
- The Illinois Issue 25 August 1911
- The Illinois Issue 1 September 1911
- The Illinois Issue 8 September 1911
- The Illinois Issue 15 September 1911
- The Illinois Issue 22 September 1911
- The Illinois Issue 29 September 1911
- The Illinois Issue 6 October 1911
- The Illinois Issue 13 October 1911
- The Illinois Issue 20 October 1911
- The Illinois Issue 27 October 1911
- The Illinois Issue 3 November 1911
- The Illinois Issue 10 November 1911
- The Illinois Issue 17 November 1911
- The Illinois Issue 24 November 1911
- The Illinois Issue 1 December 1911
- The Illinois Issue 8 December 1911
- The Illinois Issue 15 December 1911
- The Illinois Issue 22 December 1911
- The Illinois Issue 29 December 1911
- The Illinois Issue 5 January 1912
- The Illinois Issue 12 January 1912
- The Illinois Issue 19 January 1912
- The Illinois Issue 26 January 1912
- The Illinois Issue 2 February 1912
- The Illinois Issue 9 February 1912