Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-14
the District. He said he represented the
Catholic side Of the Weber prohibition bill.
The Opposition Represented.

| the District He said he represented the
Catholic side Of the Weber prohibition bill.
The Opposition Represented.
The opponents of the Weber bill. repre-
senting the workingmen. the Jewish citi-
Gems. the German-Americans. the Personal
Liberty League and other organizations
came into the committee room In Q BODY
They were headed by Mr.. Robert Crane
who represents the united breweries OF the
United States.
In the delegation were Mr.. John Z. Leon
ard. president Of the District Retail Liquor
Dealers Association: Mr.. Hugh F. Harvey
of the same organization: Mr.. Charles w.
Darr, who appeared generally for the, oppo-
nents in the District of the Weber or any
similar bill; Miss Phoebe Couzins. who was
the representative Of the Personal Liberty
League; Messrs John Fl. Brinkman, James
L. Feeney and Samuel De Nedrey, OF the
Central Labor Union: W. r. Henry OF the
AUTHORIZATION League: Mr.. Jere McCar-
thy. for the Bartenders' Union. and Mr.. X.
voelckner. for the United German Societies
Of the District.
In support Of his declaration that prohibi-
ton had been a failure wherever 1t was
tried Robert Crane quoted from state
ments Of Bishop Henry C. POTTER. the
Protestant Episcopal bishop Of New York.
The mention Of Bishop Potter's name called
forth derisive laughter followed by Kissing
from the temperance advocates in the COM
mittee room. Mr. Crane denounced the ac-
ton Of the prohibition delegation, and
stated that Neal Dow, the Maine prohibi-
ton leader. admitted the week before his
death that he had been on the wrong track
all through his long fight for prohibition.
Enter q Denial.
Its not true" practically all the white
ribboners in the room exclaimed. jumping
to their feet and repeating their denials
again and again.
Mr.. Crane then said the south is mistaken
in its movement for prohibition and said
the laws regulating liquor selling in Ten
nessee and Kentucky have been a failure.
He stated that the "blind tigers Of Ten
nessee have caused an increase In murder
and crime in that state. This brought an
of Tennessee. a member Of the House COM
mittee on the District Of Columbia. who
said the speaker had no knowledge of what
he was talking about and declared that the
state of Tennessee has found its prohibi-
ton legislation an unqualified success
Effect on Beer Consumption.
A member of the congressional commit
tee wanted to know If prohibition in the
District would reduce beer drinking here
Representatives of the brewers interests
asserted that 1t would. as beer is rarely
sold in "speakeasies' blind tigers and
similar Illicit resorts The tendency in
such places was for the stronger bever-
ages. as whisky, brandy and the like.
Chairman Babcock remarked significantly
that the distilleries were not apparently
represented at the hearing.
A member of the Personal Liberty League
declared that more whisky gin and brandy
and very much less beer are sold in So
called prohibition states.
When the auditors again laughed at the
mention of Bishop Potter's name, Mr.
Crane declared the exhibition of mirth was
IAN evidence of the weakness of the ad-
vocates of prohibition" He declared Bishop
Potter was the greatest bishop the Epis-
copal Church in this country ever had.
A lively colloquy between Mr.. Crane and
Representative Sims sprang up over the
existence of blind tigers in Tennessee.
James L. Feeney appeared as chairman of
the committee on legislation of the Central
Labor Union. He declared that the work.
ingmen of Washington do not want prohi-
bition. Prohibition laws" said Mr.. Fee
ney, do not prohibit. l am total alb
stainer and Jonadab, but do not want to
compel others by law to follow my exam
ple." He said the workingmen of this city
are not drunkards. but 1.-The Weber bill If
passed will make them violators Of the
law
Mr. c. w. Darr made an argument
against the Webber bill He said the Dis
trict excise law is one of the best in the
country. and denied number of the asser-
tons to the contrary made by the other
side. So.
Miss Couzins' Argument.
Miss Phoebe Couzins gave a graphic pic
ture of what she termed the failure of pro-
hibition in so-called prohibition states She
declared that millions of TASKS Of whisky
are sold surreptitiously by drug stores in
Kansas after the purchasers In many in
stances have perjured themselves to pro-
cure the liquor. She spoke of her experience
while living In Kansas, and said the law
had been flagrantly violated
Miss Couzins asserted that for many
years she had been an advocate of prohibi-
ton. but. she added, II saw the error of my
way and reformed, and now 1 an for per-
sonal liberty. Men cannot be legisiated
sober any more than they can be legislated
drunk" She said the Weber bill, II passed,
will be a violation of the Constitution and
will overthrow the interstate commerce
law.
She spoke Of the many diplomats and
strangers who come to Washington, and
said such a law would be "a direct insult
to them
Miss Couzins quoted from Miss Frances
Willard that poverty. rather than strong
drink, creates intenperance.'
Mr.. J. C. Leonard. president Of the Re-
tail Liquor Dealers Association, submitted
facts and statistics to show that pro-
hibition will prove to be the ruination of
the beautiful city of Washington
Mr.. Hugh F. Harvey presented to the
committee the signatures of 5000 citizens
of the District of voting age, protesting
against the enactment OF prohibitory
legislation. He said there Is no demand
for prohibition here except by few
theorists"
At the conclusion of the hearing the
District committee went into executive
session and the temperance crusaders
parade about the corridors of the Capt.
tol, headed by q detail of Capitol police.
WOULD LIKE A PENSION,