The Mena weekly star., 1908-02-13
|DDCUSSED PROHIBITION
Opponents of Anti-Liquor Legisla- tion Have Their Inning Before
 the House Committee.
LITTLEFlELD CHAMPIONS TEMPERANCE
Federal Aid In Enforcement of Local Option Laws Opposed by Represen- tatives of the German-American AL Iiance--Lively Exchange of Thrusts Between Partlsans.

Washington, Feb. 12--The anti-pro- hibitionists had their innings Tuesday when representatives of the national German-American alliance appeared before the house committee on judi ciary to opose in general the 16 bills, introduced at this session for the sup pression of the liquor traffic and in particular the Littlefield bill, propos- ing federal aid in the enforcement of local option excise laws. Those who spoke against the bills were Attorney P. A. Wildermuth ofPhiladelphia, coun- sel to the Pennsylvania branch of the alliance; Ernest c. Stahl, of the New Jersey State Journal, vice president of the alliance; and Attorney Theo. Sutro, of New York, president of the New York branch, and former com missioner of taxes.
 A running exchange of thrusts be- tween Mir. Sutro and Representative Littlefleld, who Is member of the judiciary committee, enlivened the hearing and gave alternate comfort to the allies of each. Among those in attendance were several members of the Womens' Christian Temperance union and half a dozen clergymen from as many cities.
 MT. Sutro assumed the familiar ground that you can not legislate morality into the people, and he flung into Mir. Littlefield's figurative teeth, the assertion that Maine, MT. Littlefield's state, exemplified in a great measure the soundness of the claim that prohibition does not pro hibit."
 Then" said MT. Littlefeld, do I understand your argument to be that morality con not be inculcated into the people by legislation? Do you stand on that? Answer me directly, please"
 q stand on that. yes," said MT. Su- tro, but want my meaning under stood by this committee. I-"
 "In other words he wants to fix g loophole to crawl out of," suggested voice.
 "No," said MT. Sutro, The doesn't But de not propose to be misunder stood and taken advantage of. What stand for is this: The only way to make temperate men and women is to teach them moderation as they grow up from boyhood and girlhood and the only genuine. constitutional way to keep them temperate when they have grown up, if they are not strong enough of themselves to be moderate, is to make over indulgence-drunken- ness--a crime. a misdemeanor. And that Is the province of the state, not of the central government. If the law can say to man, thou shalt not take sip of wine or beer or whisky or brandy 1t can by the same authority say to him, thou shalt not take a morthful of mince pie and tumbler of ice water Gentlemen of the com mittee, over-indulgence in intoxicants Is not the only excess conducive to crime in this country. l give 1t as my firm belief that as many murders have been committed by dyspeptics made dyspeptlc by too much mince pie and ice water as by men infiamed to vio- ,ence by strong drink"
 When the laughter had subsided MT. Sutro. returning to the philosophy that prohibition does not prohibit, delivered this inquiry: "If prohibition is effect i've, why. not so long ago, were many members of this honorable house of representatives in the habit of going down stairs into the house restaurant and calling for a cup of tea with a large wink in the left eye, and being served with strong waters? will ask the gentleman from Maine. MT. Little field, to answer"
 Again when the laughter had sub sided. MT. Littlefield said: Ask the other members of the committee, that. It was before my time.'
 The committee has not reached a conclusion on any of the prohibition 4