Kentucky Irish American., 1914-03-14
Commissions and Prohibition
Measures Exhaust Valuable
Time.
Passing OF Statewide Bill Severe
Blow to Beckham
Campaign.
CARDINAL GIBBONS UTTERANCE

The Kentucky State Legislature
Will be In session only two more
days, and judging from the express
sions heard on all sides the people
of the State are duly grateful. as the
present session has been productive
of many nonsensical measures that
are of great injury to the taxpayers
and progress of the State To begin
with, there has been a disposition on
the part of the present General As
sembly to deprive the people of any
voice whatever in the government
by the creation of innumerable com
missions. whose duties are to consist
or prying into the affairs of our
private business enterprises, deciding
what the tax rates will be in counties
OF which they know nothing, appoint
ing city and county officials; in fact,
leaving the public and taxpayers
without leg to stand on in the
control of public affairs. In addi-
tion to this the above list of com
missioners are all to draw nice fat
salaries with tremendous opportu-
mites for graft. The public at large
would prefer to see only one more
commission measure passed at this
session, that one to be known as the
Commission of Commissions. their
duties to consist of investigating the
graft behind some Of their super
numary commissions and testing the
sanity Of some of the present
Legislators who are misrepresenting
their constituents.
The most noticeable feature OF
the present Legislature in addition
to their fondness for graft commits
sioners has been the pronounced
tendency to Introduce fool prohibi-
ton bills, the proposers sdf which dog
not seem to see beyond the length
OF their nose or iealize that prohibit
ton does not prohibit, this being
proven in all sections of the country
where prohibition has been tried, IT
only serving to make hypocrites
wherever tried out. Cardinal Glib
bons, who is considered by all as one
Of the foremost thinkers of the day,
said in statement issued at New
Orleans last Saturday: Prohibition
never will be enforced in Christian
country. While l am an ardent
advocate OF temperance, am in
tuitively persuaded that prohibition
can not be enforced in this country.
It is calculated 10 make hypocrites
and lead to the manufacture of Illicit
whiskey, replacing the good material
with the bad, while at the same time
robbing the Government of the
legitimate tax" This view is in
dorsed by every sane thinking man
OF today, and prohibition is only be-
ing urged by fanatics and politicians
attempting to ride into office on
fanatical wave.
In the vote on the Statewide pro-
hibition, which passed the House by
a vote OF sixty-one to. thirty-two on
Thursday II can safely be said that
80 per cent. of the majority vote
were coerced into voting that way by
the rabid fanatics who thronged the
galleries. many of whom were pro-
fessional women suffragists and
agitators on any and all subjects
except the care of home.
The passing of the Statewide pro-
hibition bill. in the opinion of many
competent critics, will certainly
cripple exlGov. Beckham's chances
in the race for United States SEN
diois lnt ENeuiHR IObl ana OlneF
loyal friends OF his giving him all
the credit for the surfeit OF prohibit
tlon legislation. The Kentucky Irish
American representative has queried
hundreds OF men in all walks OF life,
men that are not interested in the
liquor industry and who are bitterly
opposed to prohibition on the same
grounds as stated above by His
Eminence Cardinal Gibbons, every
Democrat among those questioned
stating point blank that they would
not support Beckham eevn II given
the nomination. several giving It as
their opinion that Beckham in advo-
eating prohibition was only playing
politics, not being at heart sincere
in his prohibition views. without
any bias or prejudice in the matter
1t seriously looks as II the Demo-
cratic party will lose the United
States senatorship II he is given the
nomination. especially n the enemy
center upon some strong opponent
like ex-Gov. Wilson, who II is
rumored will be given the Republican