Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-02-11
TURN OF ANTI
PROH|B|T|ONISTS

Washington. Feb. 1.-THE anti-pro-
hibltlonists had their Innings today
when representatives of the National
German American Alliance appeared
before the house committee on judi-
ciary, to oppose in general the 10 bills
introduced at this session for the sup
preston OF the liquor traffic and In par
tioular the I.ittlefeld bill, proposing
federal aid In the enforcement OF local
option excise laws, Those who spoke
against the bills were Atty. p. a. VIII
dormuth. of Philadelphia, counsel of
the Pennsylvania branch of the al
lance; Ernest G. Stahl. of the New
Jersey States Journal, wise president of
the alliance and Atty. Theodore Sutro
OF New York president of the New
York branch, and fromer commission
er OF taxes.
A running exchange of thrusts be-
tween Mr. Sutro and Representative
Littlefeld, who is member of the
Judiciary committee. enlivened the
hearing.
Christian Temperance union and half a
dozen clergymen from as many cities
were present.
MIR. sutro assumed the familiar
ground that you cannot leglslate mo-
rality into the people, and he flung
into Mr.. Llttleheld's figurative teeth the
assertion that Maine. MIR. Littleteld's
state, exemplfed In n great measure
the soundness of the claim that pro
hihition does not prohibit"
"Then," said Mr.. Littlefied. do |
understand your argument to be that
rnarallty cannot be inculcated into the
people by legislation? Do you stand
ON that? Answer me directly. please
II stand on that yes. said Mr.. Sutro'
but want my meaning understood by
this committee. r.
'Any other words he wants to fix
a loop-hole to crawl out of" suggested
Il voice.
NO" said Mr.. sutro, "he doesn't.
But I don't propose to be misunderstood
and taken advantage of. What / stand
on is this:
"The only way to make temperate
men and women Is to teach the moder-
alton as they grow up from boyhood
and girlhood and the only genuine, con-
stitutional way to keep them temperate
when they have grown up II they are
not strong enough themselves to be
moderate, is to make over-induigence-
drunkenness--a crime. a misdemeanor,
And that is the province of the state,
not of the central government. If the
law can say to a man. thou shalt not
take a sip of wine or beer or whisky
or brandy 1t can by the same authori-
W say 10 MIN, tHOu Sndll NOT take q
mouthful of mince pie and a tumbler
of ice water Gentlemen of the COM
mittee, oVer-indulgence in intoXicants
is not the only excess conducive to
crime in this country. / give it as
my firm belief that as many murders
have been committed by dyspeptics
made dyspeptic by to much mince pie
and ice water as by men infamed by
violence by strong drink"
When the laughter had subsidized, Mr..
Sutro, relating to the philosophy that
prohibition does not prohibit, delivered
this inquiry:
IF prohibition Is effective, why, not
so long ago, were many members of
this honorable house in the habit of
going down stairs into the house res
taurant and calling for cup of tea
with a large wink in the left eye and
being served with strong waters? l
will ask the gentleman from Maine,
Mr. Litleiield, to answer"
Again when the laughter had sub
sided. Mr.. Littletield said:
ASK the other members of the COM
mittee that. 1t was before my time"