The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-12
WATER AND
 MINCE PIES Cause as Many Crimes as Whiskey. A VERY LAUGHABLE DEBATE
 ----s-- Morality Cannot Be IncuIcatsd Into
 People. Ths Ana-rrohibitioni.s. Had rhsir Innias. Yesterday Before Hsuse cemmittee on the Judiciary Mo action Yet.
 
A VERY LAUGHABLE DEBATE

Washington, Feb. 1.-The anti-pro- hibitionists had their innings today, when representatives of the National German-American Alliance appeared before the House ccmmittee on the Judiicary to oppose in general the six< teen bills introduced at this session for the suppression of the liquor trnf- fic and. in particular. the Lfttlefeid biil proposing Federal aid in the enforce- ment of local option excise laws
 Those who spoke against the bills were Attorney P. A. Wildermufh ok Philadelphia. counsel to the Pennsylvn~ mia branch of the Alliance: Ernest C. Stahl, of the New Jersey Staats 5ourn- al. vice-President of the Alliance. and Theodore sutro. of New York. rreaE-l dent of the New York branch. and for-. uier Commissioner of Taxes.
 A running exchange of thrusts be@ tween Mir. Sutro and Representative Littlefield. who is a member of the Ju~ dietary Committee. enIivened the heMr- ing and gave alternate comfort to tho allies Of each. Among those in at tendance were several members Of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. and a half dozen cierEymen from aa many cities.
 Mr. Sutro assumed inc familiar ground that you cannot legiaiate moF~ aiity into the people," and he flung Into Mfr. Littlefeld's figurative teeth tha as sertion that Maine. MT. Littlene1d'a State. exemplified in a great measure the soundness of the claim that 'pro- hibition does prohibit
 Then" said Mir. Littleneld. sdo understand your argument 10 be that morality cannot be incuicated into the people by legisiation7 Do you akend on thatg Answer me directly. please
 'T stand on that, yes" said Mir. Sutfo ''but want my meaning understood by this committee. Tn other w0rdA he wants to fix . Ioophoic to crawl out of,T suggasted a voice. No Aald Mir. sutro. The does not. But l do n6s propose to be misunderstood and taknn Advantage of. What stand on is thla The only way to make temperate men and women ie to teach theGn mndeft tion as tbey grow up from bpyhood and Rifiho0d and the only MenuinA Way to keep them temperate when they grow up. if they are not strong enough of themselves to be moderate, is to mako over -indulgence-drunke crime a misdeIneanor. And that is the prov tncs of the State. not of the central government. If the law can say it man, Thou shalt not take sip uf wine or beer or whlskey or brandy. ik can by the same authority say to hifu Thou shalt not take q mouthful Of mince pie and . tumbier of lee wa~ ter.'
 s'GentIemen of the. committee over indulgence sn intoxicants is not che only excess conduclve to crime in this country. 1 give 1t as my firm belief that as many murders have been com- mitted by dyspeptics made sdyspeptic. by too much mince pie and ics water as by men unframed to violence by strong drink. When laughter had gubsided. Mir. sutro. returning to the philosophy that prohibition does not prohibit, delivered this inquiry:
 sIf prohibition is effective. why. nut so long ago, were many members Of this horrible House of Representatives in the habit of going down stairs into the House restaurant and calling for a cup of tea with . large wink in tho left eye and being served with strong waters? will ask the gentle man from Maine. Mir. Littleneld. to sn- swer." I
 Again. when the laughter had auh- sided, Mir. Ldttleheid said: Ask the other members of the committee that. It was before my time"
 The committee has not reached conclusion on any of the have been bills.