The Washington bee., 1908-03-21

- IN - r. 40 NNAAA AAASeiAAiNo AAAsAA NtttNA
Tennessee have had to increase their
force of employees in order to handle
the jug trade that has sprung up
there under prohibition laws"
Rev. Father Schmitt, pastor of St.
Joseph's Church, began his address
by declaring that experience had now
shown prohibition does not prohibit
"SO-called prohibition is a snare,
fraud. and an injustice.
4 have been in the priesthood for
ty years and have had experience
with all classes of people," Father
Schmitt concluded. Before | be-
came a minister I served as a soldier
in the Union Army in the Civil War
and was a participant in some of the
severe fighting. A man has a nat
ural right to eat and drink what he
pleaSes. While in the mining region
| was the leader of a temperance So
ciety, and used a big stick to make
the members observe the rules. So
I employed the big stick before Ted
dy Roosevelt did. Temperance is a
virtue, and is not, therefore, a sub
ject for legislation. More people die
from OYer-eating than Over-drink-
ing. The Lord had wine at His last
supper, and it was not unfermented
wine, as certain fanatics claim, either.
The Lord performed a miracle and
turned water into wine when the
! people wanted it, or, as the poet has
so prettily said, When the water saw
its Lord it blushed."
Miss Bessie Y. Winchester. secre-
tary of the Women's Army Canteen
Club, read an address to the meet
! ing from that organization. 1t urged
the women who are opposed ito the
! efforts that are now being made to
impose unjust prohibition laws on
the people of the District of Colum-
bia at the instigation of a minority
of men, women and children here to
visit the United States Capitol on
the dates of the hearings before the
House District Committee on the
proposed prohibition laws, and by
their presence lend a silent yet force
ful protest against such legislation
Wear on your bosoms a yellow
badge the color of the Canteen
| Club - and let it be seen by our
lawmakers that not all the women
of Washington are swayed by senti-
ment against justice and fair play
! Mrs Inez Seymour Mcconnell
sang Dreaming" and responded to
encores.
Barrier against FreHSied FGnaticiSm
Charles w Darr, of the local bar
and superintendent of St. PaursSun-
day School, was the next speaker
! He said he is proud of the fact that
The is an officer of the Personal Lib
jerty League, which organization
stands as a barrier against "frenzied
| fanaticism," sometimes termed prohi-
bition He said to argue prohibition
| from an economic standpoint is alb
surd.
Il want to say right here, Mr.
. | Darr said, that while Mr.. Shoema-
| ker may represent 5000 persons,
| have the honor to speak for 10000
900. And l appear here not only il
that capacity, but as a taxpayer il
the District
This is not a question of prohibi
ton prohibiting, but an economic one
| Prohibition is led by the short-haireC
} women and the long-haired men, q
percent of whom do not pay taxes
and will not if they live hundreds o.
years"
| Referring to the efforts of tht
ministers in the prohibition fight, Mr.
Darr asked if the ministers are will
ing to pay a tax on their churches o.
$500
Reference TO Ministers.
1T is easy to say take away tht
| $4,000 taxes paid by the distiller
brewer and saloon man. But will The
ministers make up the defciency?"~
| Opposition to Prohibition.
! P. T. Moran, president of the
Grain Exchange of the District oi
! Columbia, and national director oi
the Ancient Order of Hibernians, said
los percent of the business men are
opposed to prohibition, and a like
number of the citizens favor licens-
es. He asserted the local saloons are
better kept than in any other city
that the laws of the District are
more stringent, and if prohibition is
effected we will have blind tigers
and speakeasies.
Il appeal to my overzealous
friends" Mr.. Moran said, Ito direct
themselves along other lines in their
efforts, and be good American citi-
| zens There Is no need of prohibi-