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The Flying Squadron of America

Frank J. Hanly, founder of The Flying Squadron of America
Nickname	Hanly's Flying Squadron
Formation	September 30, 1914 (1914-09-30)
Founder	Frank J. Hanly
Legal status	inactive
Purpose	To promote State and Nation-wide Prohibition; To promote candidate Frank J. Hanly as the Prohibition ticket for the U.S. Presidential Election of 1916
Official language	English
First Group Leader	Daniel A. Poling
Second Group Leader	Ira Landrith
Third Group Leader	Frank J. Hanly
Key people	Ella A. Boole Eugene W. Chafin Carolyn E. Geisel Rev. U.E. Harding Clinton N. Howard John B. Lewis Charles Scanlon Charles M. Sheldon Wilbur F. Sheridan Ella S. Stewart Oliver W. Stewart Culla J. Vayhinger Clarence T. WIlson

The Flying Squadron of America (September 30, 1914 - June 6, 1915) was a temperance organization that staged a nationwide campaign to promote the temperance movement in the United States through speeches discouraging the use of alcohol. It consisted of three groups of revivalist-like speakers who toured cities across the country between September 30, 1914, and June 6, 1915. The Squadron, organized by former Indiana Governor Frank J. Hanly, gave nearly 600 speeches across 300 cities to potential voters in encouragement of prohibitionism and Hanly's run in the U.S. 1916 presidential election.

History

A map depicting the paths the Flying Squadron took during their travels.

Formation and Organization

The Flying Squadron of America was a privately funded temperance organization formed by Frank J. Hanly on September 30, 1914. The group was split into 3 divisions: "First Group" was led by Daniel A. Poling, "Second Group" by Ira Landrith, and "Third Group" by Hanly. The organization, consisting of 16 speakers, hoped to persuade their audience to adopt an alcohol-free lifestyle by sharing their personal experiences.

Travels

According to Ira Landrith in a report published by The Continent, The Squadron traveled 42,000 miles in eight months, speaking two to six times in cities everyday. The group would spend almost half of their nights in sleeping cars, traveling from Peoria, Illinois to Atlantic City, New Jersey. To ensure that their message wouldn't be hindered by the time constraints of travel, the three groups were stacked back-to-back. This meant that Group One would be in town for the first day, then take off for the next town when Group Two arrived the following day. Like Group One, Group Two would wait until Group Three arrived before taking off for the next city. In doing so, The Squadron was able to increase the variety of speeches and performances across multiple days. With this stacked schedule, 300 locations were visited and 600 addresses were delivered.

Members and their Speeches

Across three separate groups, 16 speakers shared personal anecdotes regarding alcoholism. Below are short biographies of 9 of the members involved and a summary of their speeches.

Ella A. Boole

Born in Van Wert, Ohio, Ella A. Boole served as an officer in the New York State Woman's Christian Temperance Union, becoming the State President of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of New York in 1898. Because of time constraints with the W.C.T.U of New York, Boole was only able to join the Squadron campaign for a few weeks.

In her speech, Boole claims that there are "three important questions that must be considered by every community- Questions of Public Health, Questions of Public Morals, and Questions of Evangelism." She claims that Public Health is at an all-time high: water supplies are clean, sewer systems are maintained, and education is at an all-time high. She stands firm that alcohol is the direct enemy of order, and will prevent further progress. Boole provides anecdotes from her time in the W.C.T.U. to support her stance that temperance will be the only solution to wavering public morals and the spread of evangelism.

Eugene W. Chafin

Eugene W. Chafin was born in East Troy, Wisconsin, on November 1st, 1852. He attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1875, with a degree of L.L.B., and was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin on the same day. While practicing law at Waukesha, he was elected justice of the peace and participated in temperance work.

In his speech, Chafin encourages voters to face the "liquor problem" by voting. He claims that prohibition won't truly be satisfied until every state is "dry" in their politics, creating a non-tolerant environment for alcohol. Chafin states that the only way to make America a fully-dry country would be through Congress or the Presidency, encouraging voters to vote for Frank J. Hanly of the Prohibition Party for the election of 1916.

Charles Scanlon

Scanlon was born at Three Churches, Hampshire County, West Virginia on October 5, 1869. He received his B.S. in 1895, and his degree of A. M. in 1899, taking a post-graduate course at the University of Minnesota in 1901.

Scanlon claims that there are four great staple products in our lives: food, clothing, shelter, and tools used for work. He asserts that these products keep the economy running smoothly. With alcohol, he believes that the liquor traffic will damage these four staples in the lives of millions of Americans, and warns against the dangers of liquor for business.

Charles M. Sheldon

Born in 1857 at Wellsville, New York, Dr. Charles M. Sheldon spent his childhood on a farm in South Dakota, graduating from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts in 1879; from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, in 1883; and from Andover Theological Seminary in 1886. After years of serving as minister-at-large at his church, he took a leave of absence and joined The Flying Squadron.

In his Speech, Sheldon highlights his six reasons for why liquor traffic exists: First, it exists because of human drinking habits. Second, it exists because of the profits made from liquor sales. Third, it exists because of curiosity to try alcohol. Fourth, it exists because saloon owners see profit in owning saloons. Fifth, it exists because of the power it has in influencing politics. And the sixth reason: it exists because of people's fear of opposing the liquor traffic. After listing the reasons of why he believes liquor traffic still occurs, Sheldon urges his audience to take action in changing their community by actively facing their problems.

Wilbur F. Sheridan

Sheridan was the General Secretary of the Epworth League of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He held active ministry for years, having high membership at the church he served. He began work with the Squadron at Peoria, Illinois on September 30th.

In his speech, Sheridan argues that there are five reasons liquor are avoided in the military: it confuses the mind, increases fatigue, increases septic danger, increases the susceptibility to disease, and lessons the accuracy of aiming. Sheridan explains how each of these points apply to civilian life, claiming that avoiding the use of liquor will strengthen the Christian faith in American life.

Ella S. Stewart

Stewart grew up in Moultrie County, Illinois. She first attended school at Arthur, Illinois, becoming a student at the High School at Decatur. She then graduated from Eureka College at Eureka Illinois, meeting her future husband Oliver W. Stewart during their time at college.

In her speech, she argues that human vice and drinking go hand-in-hand. She claims that efforts to increase the tax on liquor will be in benefit to keeping children in the house with their mothers: that increasing the tax may lower the need for child-labor. All efforts to end alcohol consumption in American homes should, in her own words, be used to create a world where "children can be kept in the house with [their] mother---out of harm's way."

Oliver W. Stewart

Stewart was born in Mercer County, Illinois on May 22, 1867. He spent his youth on a farm, graduating from Woodhull, Illinois, high school in 1885, teaching at the school for two years. Stewart then entered Eureka College in 1887, graduating in 1890. From here he pursued evangelistic work for three years, and became pastor of the Disciples' Church at Mackinaw, Illinois.

In his speech, Stewart claims that there are two phases of the fight against the liquor traffic: economic and "good government" phases. In the first phase, he claims that the liquor trade gives an economic bonus for saloon owners, and encourages people to stop consuming alcohol. Doing so will lower sales. In the second phase, Stewart encourages people to reach out to the government about prohibitionism. He hopes that doing so will lead to government sympathy to their cause, which will lead to the passing of a law which limits the liquor trade.

Culla J. Vayhinger

In 1903, Culla J. Vayhinger became President of the Indiana Woman's Christian Temperance Union, having been educated at Moore's Hill College. She received a degree of A.M. from her Alma Mater. Vayhinger joined The Squadron in April of 1914, spending the summer of 1914 in Europe and returned with the group when they reached Rochester.

In her speech, Vayhinger claims that the liquor traffic is a challenge to the Christian Church. She asserts that the sale of liquor affects the children of those consuming liquor, and calls her audience to abstain from consumption.

Clarence T. WIlson

Born in Milton, Delaware on April 24, 1872, Dr. Clarence T. Wilson went to St. John's College in Annapolis; received the degree of A.B. at the University of California; B.D. at McClay College of Theology, Los Angeles; Ph.D at San Joaquin Valley College, and D.D. at St. John's. Dr. Wilson began with the squadron at Peoria, travelling from the Pacific Coast to Omaha and back.

In his speech, Dr. Wilson claims that "Christian civilization is supported by four pillars [...] Business integrity, Sabbath observance, purity in home life, and sobriety among the people." He backs up his stance that liquor works against said four pillars, and sobriety is the only way to live a life of business and charity.

Reception

Martha H. Wardner of The Sabbath Recorder praised the group, claiming "Governor Hanly's lecture was one of the most earnest, impassioned speeches to which we have ever listened, yet the speaker stood quietly at the desk, spoke slowly, made few gestures and told no mirth-provoking stories."

An anonymous writer in The Indianapolis News recalled the efforts of the group following Hanly's death in 1920, stating "[Hanly] was so interested in the prohibition movement, however, that he decided to devote a large part of his time speaking for the cause [...] organizing the famous Flying Squadron of America."

References

5. Image from page 443 of “Indiana at Vicksburg” (1911). https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebook-images/14760401834/. Retrieved 2019-05-15