The Washington herald., 1908-01-31

/ which have such statutes, and therefore
| seek 10 have Congress vest in the States
the power to regulate the shipments OF
! liquors as soon rs they cross the line into
Prohibition territory The whole matter
has been referred TO the judiciary Com
mittee Of the Senate and that body is
going to report either favorably or un-
| favorably bin vesting such power in
the States where prohibition exists.
When the bill is reported IT is the in
tention Of several Senators to force a
vote on the question by offering a parlia-
mentaTy motion. and thus have the Sen
ate itself go on record in the matter II
/ is the contention of those Senators who
would prevent the express companies
from thwarting the prohibition laws Of
States, that when a shipment reaches
/ its destination it ceases to be an article
/ Of interstate commerce. but is held by the
| express company as a warehouseman for
the consignee. II IS upon this ground
/ that they seek to control the delivery OF
/ shipments.
But this proposition has already been
in the Supreme Court of the United
States and decided adversely to that con-
tention. Down IN Kentucky. where pro-
| hibition has retired the whisky bottle
| from seven-eigths Of the counties. the
| express companies began 70 carry liquor
/ c. o. D., 70 consignees In prohibition
counties, and in some cases held the con-
signments FOR several days. The State
courts took the matter up and fined the
/ express companies on the ground that
4 they were acting as warehOusemen. It
came 70 the Supreme Court last summer
and that body reversed the decision OF
the Kentucky courts. The opinion stated
that much as We may sympathize with
the efforts 20 put a stop to the sale Of in
toXicating liquors IN defiance OF the poll
/ Cy Of q State we are not az liberty 10
/ recognize any rule which viii nulify
or tend 10 weaken the power vested by
the Constitution IN Congress over inter
state commerce" In view of this decis-
ion II IS said that there Is no way by
which the States can get control Of ex-
press shipments except by seizure after
they have been delivered to consignees.
The one other alternative is said TO lie
in legislation by Congress to prevent
liquors being transported in interstate
commerce into States where prohibition
prevails. Nothing else than this or a
constitutional amendment would suffice
| % protect the prohibition territory.
II the matter ever comes TO 2 head in
Congress. the temperance cause would
have plenty Of backing. Practically the
entire West and South are now prohibit
tiOn. and letters from the governors of
most Of the States show that the senti-
ulent is growing. and that il has been
consistent ground-gaineU ever since the
movement started. This sentiment has
made itself felt right under the dome Of
the Capitol itself. and was the cause Of
the elimination of the sale Of intoxicants
in that building. 1t is said TO be the
intention Of Congress TO let its members
have access to the cup that cheers in the
new Office buildings Of the Senate and
House, but already the white ribboneTs
are preparing TO make a fight against it.
Another thing in the liquor legislation
line which Congress has on its hands is
the proposition 10 have local option in
the District Of Columbia. That body Will.
therefore. have more prohibition legisla-
tion 10 consider at this session than at
any previous session in its history.
The liquor question promises 10 poke its
nose into the Presidential situation II
Secretary Taft IS the nominee Of the Re
pubFcans. II was crusade OF the W c.
T. l. that led to the abolition OF the can
teen. It was a long. uphill fight, led by
Representative Littlefeld. OF Maine,
which resulted in the stopping of the sale
OF beer and light wines at army posts.
Army officers have seen conditions with
the Canteen and without it. and they are
almost unanimous in the opinion that
there is more drinking Of a harmful kind
without the canteen than there was With
IL. They point out that many a soldier
who was content with a glass Of beer or
two when the Canteen was in existence.
now has 10 leave the reservation to do
his drinking. and that the stuff he usually
gets in the baTTOOms most convenient TO
the post is. as il was once put by Rere-
sentative Stanley. Of Kentucky, enough
10 make a bowling dervish out of an an
cborite"
This view OF the matter has been large |
ly shared by Secretary Taft and in his
last annual report he incorporated recon- (
mendatious Of general officers for the re-
establishment of the C8nteen. With popU- |
lar sentiment strong enough several years |
ago to force the abolition f-the canteen, |
It is admitted that temperance feeling has |
grown wonderfully since then, and that /
the advocacy Of its re-establishment /
would not be a winning card in the |
temperance camp. With thirty-ive mil /
lion people now cut off from the saloon /
by laws enacted by themselves, with /
more than half of the territory OF the |
United States controlled by temperance /
fl 49, 44..,.. al
growing everywhere those who advocate /
the stabIishment of government-con-
trolled drinking places for soldiers see
very little hope of ever getting it done.
Frances E. Willard was the leader Of the
crusade that eliminated in the abolition
OF the canteen. and to-day her statue
stands in Statuary Hall in the National
Capitol. the only woman in that company
Of fame, as II TO keep watch that her
work shall never be undone.
The pure food law is perhaps the most
important piece Of Federal liquor legis-
Iation ever enacted. While this law wes
aimed at all sorts Of authorizations. it was
especially directed at the retail liquor
dealer. In thousands Of saloons through
out the country drink of real whisky
was never sold. Adulterants were much
cheaper and the adulterated compound
tested better to the average drinker than
the straight whisky, But since the pure
food law went into operation it must be
labeled true to its composition. While
thousands stick to their old compounds.
blends. or what not the majority of
drinkers now want the straight whisky.
And they usually get it. Attorney Gen
eraI Bonapartes s recommendations about
f PIuribus Tnum Whisky Super Idem
Whisky" and like designations have not