New-York tribune., 1908-02-09
SENTIMENT VS.. LAW.
Chairman Jenkins Yarns Prohabi-
tionists To Be Cautious.

Washington Feb. s.-The feature OF the hearing
of the anti-saloon representatives to-day before
the House Judiciary Committee was the reply of
John j. Jenkins, chairman of the committee, to
the Rev. S. f. Nicholson. who spoke for the
American Anti Saloon League. The remarks were
made at the conclusion of an argument by Mr..
Nicholson urging the adoption of the Litchield
or some similar bill prohibiting the shipping of
liquor into prohibition territory.
Mr.. Jenkins said that 80 per cent of the bills OF
the kind under discussion brought before his
mittee aimed at the very throat of the gov
ernment. Men fun of sentiment would appear
there, he declared, and urge the committee
port a bill and ask Congress To pass law 10 be
tested before III. Supreme Court.
Your argument said Mr. Jenkins. ''s put it
up TO the Supreme Court. We not here TO
port bills that appear be unconstitutional
1t Is our duty to prevent, if possible. the passage
of laws that unconstitutional DO think
that we should listen TO yCu sentimental gentlemen
when you try to overpersuade us We trying
10 save this government. and DO not to be
continually reporting out bills. for the sake of
christianity or anything else that will be turned
down by the courts.
Il have been in prohibition territory and seen
how the LAWS evaded. There | men
with a prayerbool in hand and knife an
enemy in the other"
Mr.. Nicholson explained that it was his in
tention TO ask the committee to DO anything wrong.
Mr.. Jenkins replied that politics had nothing DO
with the work of the judiciary Committee. that
there was u diversity of opinion as TO whether the
various liquor bills constitutional not
Mr.. Nicholson wes followed by Theodore AL
word. of Parkersburg. ". Va and p. A Baker. of
Columbus. Ohio, general superintendent of the
American Anti-Saloon League, both of whom IA
Vored the proposed legislation.
Representative Julius Kahn of California. ap-
peared in behalf of the grape growers and wine
makers of his state lie asked the committee not
to close the hearing the bill before his people
representing more than s1oo.I0,010 in property.
could be heard. He said the Littefield bill would
prohibit the shipping of wine from California
any foreign country
Il do not believe" continued Mr. Kahn that the
American people weaker than the Europeans. I
think that we are just about able to take
OF ourselves the inhabitants of any
try. The home is the place to teach temperance.
The Germans are the most progressive people in
the world. and they drink beer from the cradle 1t
is the abuse and not the of the drink that
hurts"
A subcommittee Of the Senate Committee on
Judiciary. consisting of Senators Knox. of Penn
sylvania: Fulton of oregon. and Bacon, OF Geor-
gia. gave hearing to-day the Tillman BILL
providing that the arrival of liquors within
state and before delivery to consignee they shall
be subject to the operation of the laws OF the state
in the same manner as though such liquors had
been produced in the
Mrs. l.. NJ y. Stevens, national president OF the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, said that In
Maine bogus express companies operate surrepti-
tiously through keepers Of blind tigers. etc. In
that way, she SAID, IL is never possible TO trace II
TO the consignees contemplated by the law
now interpreted by the Supreme Court of the
United States. She wanted the law amended
that the liquor might be seized at the point OF
without regard 10 the consignee.
Opponents of the bill We're George W Yost presi-
dent of the National Vial and Bottle Manufacture
ers' Association. William Launier secretary OF
the National Glass Blowers Association. They as
serted the proposed legislation threatened their
business. which. they said, employs forty thou
sand persons
Senator Bacon suggested that when prohibition
avs were enacted in Georgia there was big
brewery his home, which every one supposed
would be closed down.
But added Senator Bacon. they began to
make beer that had alcohol in II. The Agri- |
,utral Department has pronounced it to be non |
alcoholic. and they bottling more beer
han before
1T is certainly worth coming long distance to
near that encouraging news, said one Of the bot
lers, who had from Ohio to attend the hear |
ng.