Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-01-20

son pointed out that the constitution
does not define interstate commerce.
but simply gives congress power -
regulate IT, Suppose. he said.
'twenty-three OF the forty-six states
have prohibition laws. and in the
other twenty-three the manufacture
and sale of liquor is permitted. have
the latter twenty-three states the
power to impose the traffic on the
other twenty-,hree? And can con
gress so legislate and the supreme
court so direct?"
ALREADY DECIDED VALID.
Responding to this inquiry Senator
Knox pointed out that the supreme
court had already decided to be valia
state laws prohibiting the sale OF
imported liquors.
Replying to a question by Senator
Fulton Mr. Tillman admitted there
was some doubt of the right of con
gress to regulate the receipt of IL
quor from outside states by individu-
ais for their own use This he con
sidered the only doubtful element
connected with the question
Senator Tillman called attention
TO the supreme courts first decision
under the Wilson law, saying that
The constitutionality OF the bill ha1
been there sustained and that in q
the court had held that congress has
the power to relinquish it's control
of liquor as an article of interstate
commerce and let the police power
of the states attach.
He begged the committee not to
delay in reporting the bill. Get ii
into the senate" he urged, "and let
the senate deal with it,
Asked to discuss the wisdom ~
The measure. he declined, saying thai
any student of human affairs will
tell you that whiskey is the most
potent as well as the most prolific
cause of crime and misery in opera
ton in this or any other country"
and he believed 1t necessary to in
woke the power of the federal gov
eminent to perfect the regulation OF
the traffic in states which already
have acted in that direction.
OBJECTS TO THEIR BILL.
Representing the German-Ameri-
can Alliance Representative Bar.
tholdt of Missouri, advocated unfa-
vorable action by the committee on
any of the resolutions and bills re-
lating to the liquor subject. He said
that the alliance has membership in
thirty-siX states OF the Union and
that the COMMUNICATIONS were not
in favor of government interference
with the question of prohibition in
any way. To his statement that IN
passing legislation curtailing federal
liquor licenses congress would sim
ply be voting for prohibition, Sena-
tor Nelson, a member OF the COM
mittee. made objection. He said Il
was matter of leaving such ques-
ton to the states. Representative
Bartholdt expressed his disapprovai
of local option or any laws whatever
that would hinder a citizen from ex-
ercising his own judgment as to how
much liquor he should consume H.
considered that such a course would
be in violation of the constitution.
AN ABSURD POSITION.
Mr.. Yerke, former commissioner
of internal revenue, expressed dis
approval of a law Withdrawing fed
eral liquor licenses in prohibition
states in the position of invoking
federal law to cause their owa laws
to take effect. He believed that the
abolition of federal licenses in GER
tain states and the issuing of them
in others would put the government
in an absurd position.
Senator Dolliver said he had been
interested for eight years in meas
ures regulating the governments
connection with liquor traffic, and
hoped the committee would be able
to reach some favorable conclusion
on the bills Of that nature before 1t.
Further hearings will be held on
q