The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-19
BREWERS FILE UNIQUE PLEA Ind an Appeal to Con-
 Fl gresS. ARE SCARED OF PROHIBITION
 Saloonkeepers of District of Colum- bia Act
 They Hold That states that Legislate Against Liquor Tramc should Not Share in Government Revenues.
RE SCARED OF PROHIBITION
BY AJ.rRED J. sTOrER.

Petitions, memorials and statements of all sorts are pouring in upon Congress
 for and against the proposition to close the saloons in the District of Cofum- bia.
 The agitation in favor of prohibition is really becoming so intense that 1t | hardly seems possible that the leaders in Congress will be able to prevent a vote on the question before the close of the present session.
 Indications are that 1t is going to be rather an embarrassing question for quite percentage of the members of 1 the House. This element would be very much pleased if the bill is kept back until the second session. owing | to the fact that the general elections | occur next year. and the "drys'' and "wets" are both determined to keep q,
 strict tab on the Representatives who 1 will have to go on record if the test is by yea and nay vote.
 Mention has been made atsfength in
 this correspondence heretofore of the arguments submitted for pfohibition at the nations capital. |Congressmen have just received a new statement that was prepared by one of the lead- 1 ing breweries of Washington. It | touches upon the prohibition movement | that has been sweeping over the South. and for that reason will be read with | interest in that section. It is as fol- | lows: During the sessions of the sixtieth Congress you will probably be asked to consider legislation In regard to the sale of malt and hpirituous liquors in the District of Columbia. We feel that | the matter will receive your fair and 1 earnest consideration.
 1 "Fufminating Appeal" "In the stress of the illuminating appeal to which you will be subjected | he fao ct ell hnrttd 4nf ha lnaf fafkf .F
 that the interest we represent has vest ed rights the same as any other bus ! iness We are not without the pale of
 Legitimate enterprise. as our demagogic opponents would have you believe
 Having conducted our business along fair and honorable lines. we respecfful- ] ly submit that any further restrictive
 measures aimed at it here in the na- ltional capital would be unwarranted. | Why experiment on Washington to find an panacea for the ills, fancied or real. | of other localities of this great and broad country of ours. Such proce- | dure would be distinctly unfair. Should you feel that our business | needs added restrictions we invite the | most thorough personal investigation on your part. Nowhere will you find
 the liquor trade carried on in a more
 honorable manner. Drunkenness is | not frequent here, and crime, the I
 at minimum. Considering the char
 acter and numbers of our people the l percentage of crime here in the District l of Columbia is comparatively small. An | inspection of the court records will re-
 veal that only a slight percentage of | the licensed liquor dealers of Washing
 ton have sinned against the laws In l late years Through a well directed effort we are hopeful that the succeed l ing years will show clean slate. "We feel sure that the people of the
 district are eminently satisfied with the present form of government and de- sire no change, and respectfully ask that Congress stand pat on the pres- ent excise laws
 You must realize the magnitude of
 the prohibition question. Should prohi- bition prohibit--and the reverse has
 proved the rule wherever 1t has been tried-tariffs would have to be re-ar- ranged in order to make up a deficit in Federal revenues, for it must be borne in mind that one-third of the governments income comes from inter- nal revenue.
 Right of states.
 The sovereign right of State to de- prive the Federal government of its revenue seems to be established. But. 1 when a State after successive legisla- tive acts, shuts down the manufactur- ing establishments paying the inter- | nal revenue, asks from the Federal government appropriations for river and harbor improvements, rural free 1 deliveries, public buildings and expects l protection against lawlessness and | against foreign. enemies, does not the ' question arise:
 Gan the prohibition States expect | that the moneys paid into the United 1 States Treasury by anti-prohibition
 States, in the form of internal revenues.
 should be expended for the benefit of
 prohibition States?
 | Equal protection for equal taxation is a standard maxim and 1t does not | seem fair that the so- called dry States | should share alike with the wet States in the proposed muniicent ap- l propria tions for rivers and harbors and | other improvements.
 "This prohibition wave sprang LID in
 the South. designed, we are told. to off,
 set the demoniacal tendencies of the negro brother in that section, due to | his incorporate use of intoxicants. Pro- ! hibition will not only fail of its pur- | pose in that quarter, but deny to that 1 great mass of American freeman. white and black. the boon of personal liberty Granting for the nonce that the ne- | gro of the South requires the lash of i prohibition in order to make him a safe l citizen, there Is certainly no need of such paternalism here in Wash'A gton. 1 What the negro or the | South needs is education, as do all other 1 peoples of whatever color or cline. | who are given to excesses. 4 Let the States that feel the need of
 prohibition build up their educational | systems as has been done here in Wash | ington; let the churches and other re ligious organizations proselytize for
 temperance dn speech in drinkables and 1 eatables and in the use of tobacco, and | a thousand one other things for whicb
 humankind has its failings and we
 shall all share in the golden mean of l perfection"
 Antls Are Aroused.
 The above argument has put many of
 the anti-saloon workers on their mat
 tie. and they are working all the hard | eh. to force the issue in Congress. They | win not admit that there can be any | real temperance as long as beer and light wines are allowed to be sold here The Washington brewers realize that they are going to be hit very hard if