Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-11
Proposed Ubiquitous Legislation

Sohdl AUCi ~ VI Alo CltALSAS.
Proposed Ubiquitous Legislation.
Il represent no society or combination
| he declared. Il am here simply as an
American citizen to protest against pro-
posed Ubiquitous legislation. 1 am not ar
rayed against any church or society, but 1
am here as a man who believes that pro-
hibition does not prohibit
Mr.. Wolf asserted that prohibition is re-
sponsfble for more crime than has ever
been charged against the liquor interests.
The abolition of the army canteen, he said,
had resulted in the present awful conditions
in the army and was directly responsible
for the deplorable Brownsville affair.
Applause greeted Mr.. VOLTS statement
that the liquor dealers and keepers Of dives
adjacent to military posts had contributed
money freely to bring about the abolition Of
the army canteen.
Just as the so-called temperance re-
formers were weak in that particular" he
added. they are weak in asking for prohibi-
ton in the District of Columbia. Men are
but children. Take away that which they
| want and they will break their necks to
get 1t. No laws can be made to work
moral reform. 1t must come, when it does,
by the determination of men themselves
Pass the Webber bill or any similar meas
ure and there will be ten times more viola
tons of law in Washington than there is
with the open saloon
In conclusion Mr.. Wolf referred to the
present prohibition movement here as 1.-The
intemperance of temperance" His adj
dress was frequently interrupted by out
bursts of applause
The next speaker was Rev Dr. Abram
Simon. He said he was inclined to believe
that too much legislation would drive the
people to drink, and added that the meeting
briefly and honor, but against prospective
foolish legislation that may undo what has
been done for the glorious upbuilding Of the
District" He said there is far less drunk
IN ovron u, UNoc tor~<
now than there has heretofore been, and
IF there is drunkenness most Of it 10 no
ticeable Sunday, when the saloons are
closed"
DR.. Simon then scored the yellow Jour-
nails for publishing the indecent details of
the Thaw case.
Il can turn the prohibitionsts toward a
scheme Of prohibition he declared, adding
that they take steps to prevent the publ
cation and introduction into the homes of
Washington Of the Tenderloin nastiness
of the Thaw case in all it's clear-cut, sala-
cious vileness."
fishes such nasty stuff" added DR.. Simon,
and dlssuade them from doing so for the
good of the public morals"
An Experimental Ground.
The speaker added that because this COM
munity has no suffrage it has to wake I'D
now and then in protest, as some of the
members OF Congress can be influenced by
a few people here>to use the District as an
experimental ground Tor their fads and fan
cies
1--WE ought to cease being embalmed by
and should rebel against the legislators ex-
perimenting with US. So far as this city Is
concerned, 1t has less immortality and less
drunkenness than any city of its size in the
land
This so-called prohibition movement will
not add to the Greater Washington, Dr.
bring into existence hundreds Of speak
easies,'' which are ten thousand times more
reprehensible than the worst of the open
saloons.
I'VE are only putting a premium on n.y.
pocrisy," the speaker went on to say. Eco
nomic reasons, If others are laid aside,
should prevent the enactment Of any pro-
hibition law" DIR. Simon declared that his
opposition to the Weber bill was not from
the standpoint Of drinker, but as a man
who felt called upon, without passion or
malice. to denounce an ubiquitous, foolish
Let the White Ribboners give their time
to checking lewdness righteousness and
moral debasement. rather than to favoring
legislators who M-advisedly tamper with
the liquor laws. I have been here three
years, but never before did see a beautiful
city so overriden by the fads and phantasies
Of agitators and legislators. The time for
experimenting with us is passed. Let these
purists permit US to work our own saliva
ton. Those who lean to the extreme should
not be permitted to lead us. Moderation Is
what we want. It should be our code in
this question-with moderation In iegisla-
ton as WELL"
Miss Couzins introduced.
Miss Couzins was next introduced by Mr.
Wolf as zone Of the greatest women Of
our land, who stands for human rights and
liberty"
Miss Couzins said she was sorry she could
not address the auditors as fellow citi-
zens." but as they were q sort Of political
nondescript. owing to the form Of govern
ment here, she would address them an
"ladies and gentlemen" She began by de-
scribing the disastrous failures Of several
prohibition laws about forty years ago
when her father was chief Of police Of st.
Louis"
Miss Couxins read from statistics to
show that prohibition had utterly failed
in Maine. Kansas and Iowa. and declared
the scheme of trying to make men sober