The Washington herald., 1914-05-14
LIQUOR DEALERS
Plan MESSAGE
VIII Deliver Statement to
People Of the United
States Today
TO SCOUT PROHIBITION
I. N. Gilmore Tells Delegates He
Knows Of No Section that Has
Outlawed Drinking.
TO SCOUT PROHIBITION

A statement by the liquor interests of
the country 20 the people Of the United
States will be embodied in resolutions
prepared by the executive committee OF
the National Wholesale Liquor Dealers
OF America, which will be presented at
the closing session of the annual con-
vention at the Willard this morning.
The details of the resolutions which
have been prepared by the executive
committee could not be learned last
night. but IT Is understood they viii De
startling In nature. The proposed Hob
son prohibition amendment to the Con-
stitution has been the chief subject of
discussion at the present meeting. and
II In understood these resolutions will be
Q reply to the Hobson measure.
In Secret Session.
For several days the executive com.
mittee of the liquor dealers has been
in secret session. 1t has been learned
Joseph Debar. the present secretary
Of the organization. will be reelected
to that ONCE today. Henry r. Kalten-
bach. the president has announced he
will not accept another nomination for
the presidency
4. c. johnson, Commissioner of In
ternal Revenue, was scheduled to ad-
dress the delegates at their afternoon
session yesterday, but he did not ap-
pear.
T. NJ. Gilmore. president Of the Ma
tional Model License League. made an
address, however. on the subject: What
Does the Prohibition Movement Mean?"
Does IL mean that the people Of
this country are determined to sur
render the use of wine, beer. whisky.
cordials. ETC., and conhne themselves
in the future to grape juice, coca cola,
lemonade. pop and the likeT asked
Mr.. Gilmore.
Asks Pointed Qsestfoa.
Does 1t mean that q nation that
consumed last year 14o,ooo.o00 gallons
Of whisky. 1000. 100000 gallons of
beer, 100000 gallons Of native
wines. and millions of gallons OF i'm
ported whiskies, brandies, gins. runs.
champagnes, still wines and the like.
besides the vast amount Of moonshine
whisky that Is being produced In the
Southern States under the auspices
and protection Of what we know as
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES IL mean that
swoop by the nat of law to surrender
a privilege that 1t utilizes SO extern
sively as indicated by these figures,
and depart all at once from the ways
OF our forefathers. and the ways Of
all other civilized people. and take q
place with the Mohammeians in their
adherence of the fermented Juice of
the grape?
I'VE hear a great deal about pro-
hibition. and about prohibitionists, and
about ."dry" territory. and about the
liquor traffic being outlawed, but do
not know where there IL any prohibition,
nor do I know any prohibitionists, nor
do know Of any dry territory. nor
do know of any place in this country
that has outlawed LIQUOR"
Levi Cooke First Speaker.
Levi Cooke, general counsel OF the as
ISOLATION, was the first speaker at the
session. Mr.. Cooke strongly
the Hobson resolution. which
seeks to amend the Constitution In favor
Of national prohibition. In part. he
said:
National prohibition IL proposed by an
to the Constitution, which ID
only to destroy the legitimate
and taxpaying trade by forbidding the
sale. the manufacture for sale, and the
for sale of liquors. The fac
ton advocating this amendment admits
that liquors may hereunder be manu-
factured privately for use in any way
short Of sale.
The constitutional amendment pro-
posed il, however, a distortion Of Ameri-
can institutions, and looks to the de-
struction of the State police power. the
of local self-government, and
the creation Of Federal rule Of conduct