Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-04-05
GOV. HASKELL MAKES ATTACK
ON NUMEROUS FEDERAL LAWS
IN RELATION TO PROHIBITION
When Democratic Party Gets
Corrupt Would Cleanse 1t, but
Wouldn't Elect Crook to Or
flee Who Stole Nomination

Gov. c. y Haskell. Of Oklahoma.
speaking on prohibition to about 100 peo-
PIE at the auditorium-armory. Sunday
Afternoon. criticised the United States
mails and the interstate commerce com
mission for their interference with pro-
hibition. and urged that notional pro
hibitIve or restrictive laws be secured
through the election OF congressman ia
vorahle to prohibition
He depIored the internal revenue laws
which give federal authority TO liquor
traffic in dry states. but commended
revision ~ these laws made at the or
der OF President Taft. which provide an
important restriction Of liquor traffic
The fact that the public welfare IS SUI
perfor 10 the individuals property rights
and that prohibition il constitutional and
lawful. was declared by him.
He said that the liquor traffic IS q
moor business proposition for the country
AZ large. that the plea for il that il is
source OF revenue is reasonless and alb
surd and that prohibition does prohibit.
though IL has the stumbling of federal
Jaws i'm its way
At one point IN his address he said;
Ladies' and gentlemen. the trouble In this
country is there is too much politics ana
not enough patriotism Now, am Dem
ocrst and am in favor of cleansing my
partv when II gets corrupt from the in
SIDE I welcome a lot OF honest Republi-
cans TO come in and help clean It oct,
hut I don't conceive that the wag 10
cleanse IL is to elect a crook TO once
lust because he happens 10 steal NOM
iration."
He made no direct reference to Col.
Theodore Roosevelt. however Once ne
saiJ:ssYou may have heard Of Oklahoma :
freak laws referred TO. You may nave
heard Oklahoma's public officials criti-
cized I'm not going to take a minute OF
your time to answer one Of these criti-
cisr,s until they emanate from an honest
r1an who wants an honest government.
Governor Haskell spoke under the aus
pices of the Southern Anti-Saloon league
convention For the purpose OF this ad-
dress he made the trip here from OKLA
homa. He returned early Monday morning
BY way Of Chattanooga
Speaking Of interference with prohibit
ton by the mails he said:
when became governor OF Oklahoms
the first thing I did was to write 10 the
the president Of the United States ana
to the postmaster general and to say TO
them: Our law prohibits a person within
the state from soliciting orders for intOxi-
eating liquors, and we deny that the
United States mail should be permitted to
convey an offer to sell whisky in our
state from points outside it
CAN'T DISCRIMINATE
They said to me: why, We can't dis
criminate in what wen carry in the
mails"
said to them: You can't discrimi-
nates You have gotten to the point
. s, viz s0F q
gfrk>to be trihed with by communications
through the mail: 1t is only another step
TO say the manhood Of the boy shall not
be destroyed by writing letters to him
through the mail"
Continuing he said OF the interstate
commerce commission: The sanctity of
this commission is so sacred in the eyes
OF the federal judges OF our state that
YOU can ship a carload Of whisky from
Kansas City to Oklahoma City, protected
against the interference Of our enforce
ment officers. consigned to the shippers
order. and the man goes chasing through
the town selling il after he has been
advised that II is on the way. and dis
tributing II from the car after il gets
mere. o, this glorious interstate COM
-nerce.''
But he commended the present admin
-stration. only a few days ago the
resident of the United States directed
tie revenue department TO revise its
rules This revision will say TO him who
sas a revenue license: Conduct your
. usiness in the room mentioned in your
ertifcate or not at all. That puts him
cut OF business
But" he continued. ANY movement
hat would be grounded on a sure foun-
dat5on. that would be lasting in its eff
feet must contemplate the whole coun-
Try as it's foundation with the states and
counties as the bricks worked into its
fabric"
At the outset of his address he denied
that the plea Of individual rights is an
argument against prohibition.
PUBLIC WELFARE SUPREME.
In substance the constitution of the
United States declares that the public
Welfare is the supreme law OF the land.
The guarantee OF the protection of prop
government has long since determined
that the public welfare at times requires
the concession and Limitation OF private
rights"
lie spoke Of the liquor traffic as a poor
business proposition Intoxicating liO-
uors have nothing 10 commend them. In
moderate use they are harmful. in ex-
cessive use they are destructive. in con-
slant use they are calamity. Since
have been governor OF Oklahoma there