Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-11
Prohibition Urged Before
House District Committee.
SPEAKERS ARE CAUTIONED
Chairman Smith Threatens to Close
the Hearing.
"DRYs" HAVE INNING TODAY
Five More Sessions Will Be Devoted
to Discussion Of Conditions
in the District.

The vets and the drys thrashed before
the House District committee today, at a
hearing on the various bills for prohibit
ton in the District. and became so ex-
cited that Chairman Smith had to
threaten to call the whole business off
then and there. And even after this the
vets and drys growled and glared all
through the hearing 1t was announced
after the hearing that five additional days
would be set apart by the committee for
hearing the views of the opposing inter-
ests on the proposition.
This was dry day. The principal
speakers before the committee were A. E.
Shoemaker. attorney for the Anti-Saloon
League; the Rev. S. Reese Murray, rep
resenting the Temperance Crusaders, and
Mrs. Clinton Smith, president Of the w.
c. T. u, and Mrs. Margaret Ellis Of the
same organization.
The excitement mentioned grew out Of
| statement by Mr.. Shoemaker that the
prohtbitionists wanted absolute pro-
hibitton and would not accept any COM
promise proposition. This attitude seemed
10 get on the nerves of the committee
members to considerable extent, and
Representative Kahn of California in
quired:
Everybody Stirred Up.
Mr.. Shoemaker, don't you know that
the enforcement of prohibition in the
state of Maine has resulted in an in
crease OF lawlessness in that state?'
Mr.. Shoemaker opened his mouth to re-
ply. but he never had show. for the
'drys' Immediately began to yell from
an parts of the big hearing room. NO!
not at all. and VETS taking their
cue. hoHan a;,,l.-
Mr.. Smith of Michigan. chairman of the
committee, is very mild hammered man,
but he wasn't on this particular occa-
sion. He jumped to his feet, picked up
an inkwell' and banged on the table, Us
ing IL Tor a gavel.
stop he cried, This committee will
not tolerate any such conduct, and il it
Is repeated this hearing will end right
The three or four hundred vets and drys
in the big room Immediately quoted down
and such demonstrations as were conceal
ed on their person were afterward emit
ted In an underbreath.
Mr. Shoemaker. in beginning his re-
marks before the committee, said that he
| represented a committee of children,
which in turn represented many of the
temperance and religious organizations
Of the District Of Columbia.
he said, lis the bill introduced by Repre-
sentative Sims of Tennessee absolutely
prohibiting tine liquor traffic in the Dis
trict of Columbia. Conditions are very
bad here: The class of saloons has de-
Perforated and the daily sessions OF our
Police Court plainly show the result
Ihere are too many beer gardens in
Washington"
Representative Hampton Moore of Penn
syivania asked Mr.. Shoemaker If there
was lobby In Washington which sought
70 fnneunce members in regard to the
Sims bill by bringing pressure to bear
on them from outside sources-from their
district.
Mr.. Shoemaker said he didn't know of
any.
But Matthew O'Brien. representative of
the national prohibition party inter-
rupted Mr.. Shoemaker to say that he did.
Trying to influence Congress.
Yes, have brought influence into the
matter, he said. Il am the congress
sional representative of the national
prohibition party. and I have tried to
get our friends throughout the country
20 make their wishes known to Congress
In that sense, lobbying has been done"
IN reply to a question by Mr. Moore
Mr.: OBrien said he represented about
$4,000 prohibitionists.
n;. ana what is the population of the
Dlstrict or columbia" asked Repre-
sentative McGavin of Illinois
About 300.0 00," Mr. OBrien replied
And you want these 10000 people
you represent to dictate what the 400. 900
In the District shall do?" suggested Mr.,
McGavin. w.
Mr.. Shoemaker interrupted to saw that
$4,000 was only a fraction of those who
favored absolute prohibition.
Then Mr.. Moore asked Mr.. Shoemaker
II the people he represented stood for
absolute prohibition or if they were will
promise.
Mr.. Shoemaker replied that his people
were opposed to the licensing of any ana
all saloons. whether the license was high
Don't you think that absolute prohibit
ton here in the District would promote
Flawlessness?' asked Representative Kahn.
Mr.. Shoemaker said he didn't.
But liquor will be sold just the same"
remarked Mr.. Kahn.
Mr.. Shoemaker admitted the truth of
this.
Then that is lawlessness," said Mr..
Kahn.
Effect Of High License.
Chairman Smith asked Mr. Shoemaker
what he thought would be the effect of
raising the license for saloons from the
present figure to $1,000 or 5000.
Mr.. Shoemaker admitted that in his
opinion 1t would do a little good--that it
would probably result in closing about
one-third of the saloons Of the District.
Have the morals Of the army been bet
tered by the abolition Of the canteen?"
asked Representative Olcott of New
York.
Mr.. Shoemaker said he thought they
had. Then Messrs. Olcott and Kahn cited
a number Of instances to demonstrate
that this was not the case
In reply to question by Representative
Brodhead, Mr. Shoemaker said his fol-
lowers had no idea of prohibiting the
use of intoxicating liquor in private fam
lilies.
Mr.. Shoemaker admitted, when pressed
by Representative Murphy of Wisconsin.
that he had no way of showing how many
people in the District wanted prohibition
He believed. however, that majority
wanted it.
This last remark drew forth a comment
by Chairman Smith to the effect that he
would be willing to let the prohibition
question in the District be put to vote
Of District residents
Doesn't Agree With Stevens.
Secretary Taft said today that he did