The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-09
Brewing Interests Declare War
ON Anti Saloon League
At Meeting of the o. s. Ass0cia-
ton at Milwaukee.
PRESIDENTS SPEECH.
A Mastery Presentation of His
Side of the Case.
Utterance of Associate Justice
Brewer Is Quoted Approvingly.

Milwaukee, June 9-The business
of the convention of brewers in this
city opened today with the annual adj
dress of the president Of the United
States Brewers association, Julius
Lehman. He spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Experience proves that all cities
have saloons. If the saloon Is not
legalized, an illegal substitute appears
in the form of speakeasies, drug stores
and the like. AS even the Anti
Saloon league in its blue book con-
cedes that the use of Intoxicating
liquors cannot well be reached by law,
and the most rabid prohibition states
have not yet attempted to legts1ate
against the use of liquor, there must
and will be agencies to supply the de-
mand. -s5s
1.-The abuse of the saloon is marked
by disorderly and disreputable prac-
tees, which are not really incidental
to the business. We agree with all
decent men upon these points.
Il. That the saloon should not be
used to foster the social evil, and
should be utterly divorced from it.
"2. That the saloon should not be
used for gambling purposes.
SO. That the saloon should not be
intoxicants to children should be
prescribed.
THE regulation of the saloon has
been needlessly complicated by expert
mental legislation, party politics. police
corruption and ineficiency. Fixed and
arbitrary limitations, imposed upon
communities by the state, without re-
gard to local conditions. have only in
creased the difficulty. Where the state
allows elasticity of method. the we'll
witt t1r, l.,
satisfactory plan for themselves Any
honest and fair minded committee of
average citizens can do this, by the ex-
ercise of a little common sense! But
they must be free from outside inter-
ference. To keep the saloon out of poll
tics, it must first be taken out of poll
tics!
Politics and the Saloon.
Wherever the Anti-Saloon League
has waged it's warfare of determination
all other political issues have been
dwarfed and personal rancor and bit
terness have taken the place of calm
| judgment. Designing politicians play
| for the Anti-Saloon vote or the pro-
| saloon vote, without the least concern
| as to any principles involved. The
| most casual student of the campaign
which is now being carried on against
| the brewers, saloonkepers' and others
| by the Antf-Saloon League and the
various so-called church organizations,
| is compelled to admit that this is a
| campaign Of eonfscation, in which
| might makes right; and 1t must be OBJ
vious to everyone that in trying to
| protect ourselves and our business, we
| are justified in using all lawful and
| legitimate means to defeat the propos-
ais of the Anti-Saloon League.
! And speaking of confiscation, that
| phase of legislation in this country
which destroys legalized saloons or
! breweries without compensation, is the
| most unfair aspect of the anti-saloon
| or prohibition movement. Although
| declared to be legal by the highest
! court in the land, yet Mr.. Justice
| of Kansas, and now an ,honored men,
| Der of the supreme court of the United
| States, while expressing his sympathy
with the prohibitionists, nevertheless
declares this phase of the prohibition
| legislation highly immoral.
Quotes Justice Brewer.
Speaking of the Kansas cases some
years ago, he said: There were four
or five breweries, with machinery and
| appliances, valuable only for one use,
worth a few thousand dollars-a mere
|, bagatelle in comparison with the
| wealth Of the state-built up under the
| sanction of the law, owned by citizens
whose convictions were different from
| those of the majority, and who be-
| lieved the manufacture and sale OF
| beer to be right and wise. AS good
| citizens. it was fitting that they should
| yield to the judgment of the majority.
| AS honest men, it was fitting for the
majority not to destroy without COM
| pensation, and to share with the few
| the burden of that change in public
| sentiment, evidenced by the cOnStltu-
I tional amendment
| "And he lays down this proposition
4 which finds hearty acceptance in Eng
| land, the country from which We derive
| our laws; There is not only justice, but
| wisdom in this rule; that when a law
| full use is by statute made unlawful
| and forbidden, and it's value destroyed
! the public shall make compensation tc
/ the Individual"
! The presidents address was followed
| by the report of the board of trustees
which was in part as follows:
| THE purpose of the Anti-Saloon
league is avowedly the total abolition
of the saloon, together with absolute
II prohibition of the manufacture, sale.
or distribution of any beverage which
contains alcohol. BY this prescriptive
method, the agents of the league would
have US believe that the taste, and
therefore the demand, for such bever-
ages will ultimately cease.
The advocates of prohibition have
been forced by the logic of facts to ad-
NIT that prohibition does not prohibit.
But they say, neither do the criminal
Laws prohibit crime. Thieving is call
ed a fine art the enterprising burglar
still burgles, the pickpocket is still
4 working overtime But the act of theft
is a crime; the act Of drinking intoxi-
. eating beverages is not crime! We
don't forbid a man his household lux
urles, because Of the temptation which
they offer to burglars; we punish the
burglari
Almost every function of life can be
I made vice, if It is improperly used