The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-04-08
The Industries in Politics.

Our luminous contemporary, the Evening Star
discusses prohibition with the conclusion that tn,
liquor interests must be- barred from participation
in politics, national, State and local. Aside from
the constitutional guarantee of the right of peti
tion which would be difficult to overcome in pro-
hibting any citizen class of citizens from par
ticpating in politics. it might be asked what influ
| ence has the liquor interests exertcd in nationa
politics. For little more than fifty years liquor
has figured in national politics In 1868 Congress
placed tax OF 20 cents gallon on spirits, as
war revenue measure, and it was so successful
that in few years that tax increased to So
a gallon, and produced the illicit traffic of the
whisky ring. Then the tax reduced to 20
cents gallon, and again increased until it reached
SI1o as in the present law.
The tax whisky, beer and wine internal
ana customs, now amounts to S25oooo,oo o or one
third of the ordinary revenues of the government.
Did the liquor interests petition Congress for the
imposition of these taxes, did they maintain a
lobby in Washington to secure such legislation =?
AS rule, they opposed the taxes but the oppo-
nentS OF liquor had the votes to tax the interests
all they could bear.
The Stars insistencc that the liquor interests
had cxcrted too much influence in politics might
reflect on the men who handled revenue lcgisla-
tlon-Senator Morrill,, John Sherman, James A.
Garfield William Mckinley Nelson Ding1ey, John
G. Carlisle, Senator Mills. William L. Wilson,
Serene L. Payne, Oscar Underwood and others
who had control of revenue legislation and sifted
the thousands of bills introduced to tax liquors.
These gentlemen enjoyed regulations for polit-
zeal probity that ought not to be attacked without
evidence.
There is another side to the question The
census report of 1910 credited the liquor industry
with $77I, 100000 capital invested in manufacture
ing plants etc. Only four other divisions of man
were credited with more actual capital
invested These were foundry and machine shops,
$I,5IAoooooo capital; iron and steel works and
rolling mills, $I,oo4, 900; cotton goods $82z,-
900. and gas, heating, and Illuminating, $oIs,-
100000. Next to the liquor trade comes printing
and publishing $5S8.ooo,ooo Have these great in
dustries, especially our own-printing and pub
out of politics and remained away
from Washington when legislation affecting their
interests was under consideration? Did the Even
ing Star approve, indorse, and support the cam
paign of Mr.. Herman Ridder for free print paper
few years ago. and did it assist in creating the
DOGGY of "Cannonisni" to assist that campaign.
The Herald was of the few newspapers that
did not aid and abet that campaign. Is it true as ru
nored. that the general manager of the Associ-
ated Press was forced to sign letter addressed
10 Speaker Cannon demanding the use of the
Speakers power to assist that proposed legislation
"A letter which the opponents of the Associated
Press have been trying to secure ever since a. !
evidence that the Associated Press violated its |
charter as a news-gathering corporation? Senator
Root. two years ago. said that Mr. Cannon wouldI
have been nominated and elected President but |
all Of sudden came along situafion ID which Sc
vas called noon 70 act u the behsst e : 6s