Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-07-16


annexed Indian Territory, and they
felt the special need of a oonstitu-
tional amendment in that state. And
think there was probably some ex-
cuse for 1t. And Just why the State
of Oregon is singled out for tinker
ing with its constitution is not easy
to determine. 1t is probably due to
the fact that the gentlemen thought
that under the Initiative and Refer
endum it was easy to initiate the
proposition, and that the people of
Oregon we're especially easy to be
handled upon this question. I notice
they are not undertaking anything
of this kind in any of the surround
ing states. The State of Oregon is
singled out for an experiment, which
none of the surrounding states are
attempting, and / want to call your
attention to that fact in particular.
The Anti-Saloon League is very ac-
tive here in Oregon because It has
some machinery that it is very con-
venient for them to work with. That
is the only reason that / can under
stand why they have singled out Ore
gon in this particular respect.
Now, there is another reason that
I did not state in my opening argu-
ment why I do not believe that you
should amend the constitution upon
this question, and that is, that It
would create a kind of drinking
aristocracy. l want to say to you,
friends, that there are clubs and
lodges in this state so powerful that
even in the dry counties they abso-
lutely disregard the law, and they
create themselves an aristocracy
where the wealthy and the favored
and the men who are in the high
circles socially, have their liquors in
the club and keep their liquors and
enjoy them there, and the poorer
class of people, the laboring class, If
you please, are to be shut out for
their own benefit. That is quite
specious cry, that the man who is
socially privileged, and who has adj
vantages, that he can have luxuries
and that he can crafty his appetite
and that he can drink when he
pleases, but that the poor man is to
be shut out from everything of this
kind. I say to you that that is un-
American, and that, as remarked
here, it's breeding anarchy just as
much as you say that these great
law-breakers are breeding anarchy.
And I am opposed to this proposition,
because at this very day there is not
dry county in this state where they
don't have these clubs and where
they don't have this aristocracy of
abuse and where this aristocracy Of
abuse don't enjoy all of these priv
ileges and pays nothing whatever to
the city or to the state for those
privileges; and I am opposed to these
class distinctions. You may speak
of the laboring man and the poor
man, you may speak of his ignorance
and of his depravity, and you may
speak of his drunkenness, but I want
to say to you that the humblest
laboring man in this country has got
Just as much right to drink a glass
of beetr, or wine or whiskey, If he
| sees fit, and is able to pay for it, as
the richest man or the most favored
social aristocrat in any community.
| (Applause.) I say to you this is a
democratic country, and any system
that tends to build up a drinking
aristocracy is not worthy Of the sup
port of an American citizen. Cap
| plause.)
And you say the constitutional
amendment will give you statewide
local option, and you quote William
Jennings Bryon for it, William Jen-
nings Bryan is for local option and
for county option and for city option
and for state option and for national
option, and for any old option to get
there, and he is a fooling you fell
lows. He wants to weld the link to
hitch up the prohibition party with
the democratic party and elect him
next president That is what he
wants to do. And there is nothing
doing on that line. These skin
games are too thin; they have been
played too often; they can't be
worked on the American people.
Don't quote William Jennings Bryan
to me; he will endorse anything
(Laughter.)
And you talk about local option
and county option and city option
and state option and national option!
Why, that gives the whole thing
away. Just as today your dry coun-
ties are being supplied with loquor
from the wet counties, just so sure
you carry this state, the brewers in
this state will move Just over the
here than they ever did before, and
their wagons will be peddling it at
every door, and that is what they
will be doing, and then you win
have national option; we will carry
the whole nation; we will make the
whole nation dry. Why, they would
be shipping in from over in Canada
and from every country in Europe.
The way to get real option is to close
the little saloon right under your
own nose. That is. the way to get
the benefit of reform. You are try
ing to do something by law, you are
trying to compel people by force Of
local surroundings and network to
be something which they are not,
and ! say you are proceeding on the
wrong line.
Chairman Reed: You have two
minutes.
Mr.. HofeT: Now, ladies and gen
tlemen, we have tried to conduct this
discussion in a fair way; am sure
have. hope / have not said any
thing to hurt the feelings of any of
you. daughter and applause.) If
/ have hurt the feelings of any man,
woman or child in this room / want
to apologize to them. / want to say
again TO Won that / want to be