Evening star., 1912-01-30
Georgia Woman Argues in Fa-
vor of Liquor Bill.
MRS. ARM0R CREATES STIR
Has Stenographers Gasping fol
Breath as She Rushes Ahead.
OTHERS SPEAK AT HEARING
W. G. T. u. Members Ask Senators
for Legislation That Will Keep
''Dry" States "Dry."

Before five senators who comprise a
subcommittee of the SeAate committee
on the Judiciary, a woman who was in
| troduced as 1.-The Georgia Cyclone" ar
gued for ten minutes this morning, not
stopping to take even a breath and caus-
ing the speediest of stenographers al
most to throw up his pen and admit
himself beaten. The woman was Mrs.
Mary Harris Armor of Eastman, Ga,
a member of the w. C. T. U. delegation
from that state. which today appeared
before the subcommittee to add argu-
ments for the enactment Of legislation
which will make dry" states really
dry"
Perhaps all of what the Georgia
Cyclone" said has been gathered into
the stenographers notes, although she
claimed to be able to outtalk any hu-
man being on earth and said she de-
fed reporters. Mrs Armor. however,
was not the only woman who pleaded
that the Congress of the United States
should enact a simple-looking law
which will allow q dry" state to
seize liquor shipped into its borders
for unlawful purposes.
f&uIS. AliIIdA N SlcNcHS Ol IOTl-
land, Me-, president of the w. c. T. u.
in America. dubbed Alphabet" Stevens
in her own state, and leader of the
Maine prohibition party spoke for the
passage of the law for a few minutes.
Mrs. Ella A. Boole of New York. Phi.
D. of Wooster University; Mrs. Ella
George of Pennsylvania and Mrs. Will
bur Crafts of Washington. D. c., added
succinct arguments as to their reasons
why dry" state ought to be protect
ed in its own laws.
Members Of subcommittee.
The subcommittee is composed Of SEN
ators Nelson. Borah, Dillingham;. Ray
ner and Bacon, and they met to give a
hearing IN favor OF the passage Of bills
bearing the names Of Senator's Kenyon,
Curtis, Cuthbert, Nixon and McCumber.
The bills would prohibit the shipment Of
liquor for unlawful purposes into q state
where dry" or local option laws prevail.
In other words. they would allow state
ofacials TO. contrO1. the lQnpI situati =.
absolutely. where now the Interstate cot4ss
oficials to be enjoined when they try TO
grab a shipment of liquor from an ex-
press company, railroad or steamship
line.
OcIOTe the subcommittee
were made In a crowded committee room.
Seventy men and women from Georgia,
led by Mrs. T. e. Patterson, were pres
ent and score Of we'll known Washing
tonians were also on hand. E. c. Dim
widdie Of Washington started the talk
ing.
Favor Kenyon Bill.
"The Kenyon bill," said he, lis the one
thing desired by the dry forces through
out the whole United States The states
want the police power to handle the liquor
question in their own way. untramdmeied
by interstate commerce laws. States
make liquor laws and the United States
allows another state to violate those same
laws. Now the dry states want the Con-
gress of the United States to give them
power to enforce their own laws. We
hold that Congress can determine when a
box of liquor ceases to be an interstate
commerce matter and becomes a police
matter.
I'VE hold that Congress has the power
to regulate interstate commerce to the
point Of prohibition" He cited examples
of the well known lottery cases." where
Congress prohibited interstate commerce
carriers from being used for shipment of
lottery tickets.
Senator Borah asked a question:
IF those lottery tickets were wheat,
could Congress prohibit their shipment?"
OOH huoW-pIODdOiy uOt, EcPIicO
Mr.. Dinwiddie
Then you think that Congress could
prohibit the shipment of liquor because it
is an evil to conn maerce?" asked Senator
Borah again. Mr.. Dinwiddle outlined his
idea of the legal difference between the
shipment of breadstuffs and the ship
ment Of whisky.
Difference Is Vital.
There IL a vital difference" he said
between the shipment of liquors and the
shipment of other classes Of 'commodi-
ties Every one has the inherent right
to engage in thes manufacture and sale of
bread, but / can read a Supreme Court
decision which distinctly states there is
no inherent right to engage in the manu-
facture or sale Of intoxicating liquor"
Continuing, he said:
This legislation Is not directed at the
personal or family nse of liquors, and our
good German friends who object to the
bill on that score have no right to do SO,
for the bills do not have = thing to do
with the importing of a case of beer for
family use. That sort Of argument is
lugged in to create sentiment. This legis-
latiOn Is aimed at the traffic in liquor
where 1t is unlawful.
III liquor Is brought into q dry state
for lawful purposes. let the liquor alone.
II 1t is imported for unlawful purposes
the states want the power to handle the
affuafiOn This law would do away with