The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1915-07-07

its enemies. To all such we wish to
say you had as well try to stop the
mouth of Vesuvius with a whisp OF
straw, or turn back Niagara with a
child's hand as to stay the progress
Of this mighty movement.
"DeceDber twenty-seoond, 1914,
will always stand as historic date
in the calendar of the nations life.
VI was the day for the consideration
OF the I1obson Sheppard Joint Res
olution on the question OF nationri
prohibition--for the two hours Ge-
bate as to whether or not the rule
granted by the committee would be
accepted by the House. The two
hours debate was utilized more for
the discussion OF prohibition and an
| IT, prohibition than as to whether or
not the rule should prevail. 1t was
adopted, however, almost unani
mously, by viva voce vote, as ev-
eryone knew 1t would be. Then
came eight hours debate on the main
issue four hours allotted to each
side. Congressman Hobson led for
the prohibition forces and congress-
man Mann of Chicago, for the liquor
interests. 1t was a great debate; at
times persuasive, earnest and elo-
quent, and again, rising to the fury
OF a tornado 1t swept the hall like
a hurricane in the forest The oppo-
sition brought out what were sup
posed to be their heaviest guns ear
ly in the discussion-Judge Henry of
Texas, chairman of the rules COM
mittee. Mr.. Underwood of Alabama,
Democratic floor leader; and Mr..
Mann of Illinois, the Republican
leader
sSMr, Underwoods speech. giving
1t the best possible construction
was strained effort to deceive by
misrepresentation and to furnish ma
terial for the liquor propaganda. Mr.
Underwood must have been imposed
upon in the statistics that were evil
dently given to him by those whom
he served. They did not raise to
the standard of being adroitly set
forth. Mr.. Underwood may know
something about the tariff and kind
red governmental question but his
ignorance of the whole field Of tenn
perance reform, as indicated by his
speech, reveals the fact that some
one has very successfully used him.
1.-The best evidence of the utter
unreliability OF his utterances may
be found in the fact that the liquor
traffickers are circulating his
speech by the million copies. They
always avoid circulating any docu-
ment that tells the truth about their
business. Think of nan exalted
to the high position of floor leader
of a great political party becoming
the mouthpiece of the drink traffick-
ers in the arena where his honorable
position made him supreme. Not
only did they use him as their mouth
piece on the floor of Congress, but
they are using his franking privil-
ege for sending his liquor -adyocat-
ing speech.
at may be said in reply that Mr..
Hobson, Senator Sheppard and 9th
ers, use their franking privilege to
send out matter combating the liq-
uor traffic. Quite true. But there
is his difference: The duty of civ
Il government is to promote the well
fare OF the governed. Every page
sent out by these men makes for a
better citizenship, loftier patrio-
tism. Every page sent out under the
frank of Mr. Underwood for the drink
traffickers, aids an institution that
is subversive of good government
and in every respect an enemy OF
the republic. %
"Mr Mann opened his address with
the following outburst of virtue. 81
am for morality and against immor-
ality; am for decency and against
indeeency; l am for temperance and
against drunkenness; am for vir- 4.
tue and against vice; am tor law
and order and against crime and dis
order; | am for the right and against
the wrong He could have contin
ued with perfect propriety and truth