The Washington herald., 1915-03-08
Making a Law Offensive.

| Making a Law Offensive.
President Grant once said that the best way to
get rid OF law was to make it offensive in admin
istration. The Senate Committee which investi-
gated the Excise Board ought to have taken
this sage remark into consideration. Some of the
interpretations of the JonesWorks law by the SEN
ate Committee are quite impractical and OBJ
!JectIonable as the interpretations by the Excise
Board The law provides that no minor under the
age OF eighteen, shall be allowed to enter any place
where intoxicating liquors sold, other than a
hotel, restaurant club The Excise Board made
la regulation that no minor should enter that sec
ton OF general store where liquors are sold
The committee oritcises the board for this inter
probation OF the liquor traffic, and says: This
rule permits minors to enter stores where ntoxi-
eating liquors sold, contrary to the express
provision and real intent of the law
Some Senators who patronizc grocery stores
in Washington which carry considerable stock
OF high grade wines and liquors. would hardly
agree with the committee that the law is violated
every time their wives, accompanied by their young
sons or daughters, enter such places to purchase
tea, coffee, sugar fruit anything else for the
family table. The Excise Board required that the
section OF the store where liquors sold should
be rallied off from that part where other staples
sold, and provided that minor should be allowed
to enter that section Unless Congress intended
10 prohibit these general stores from selling any
kind OF liquors in any FORM including grape juice
containing per cent alcohol, the Interpretation OF
the law by the Excise Board would appear more
reasonable than that of the Senate Committee
II is not agreeable to ladies who never saw the
interior OF saloon to be accused OF violating the
law and encouraging the liquor traffic every time
they SO to market and choose to so into high
grade grocery stores which also carry line of
wines and liquors. to be sold solely in original
packages and Tor home use. If the Senate Com
rllttec had deliberately planned to make the
jsrc~-WorkS law offensive to the majority Of the
people in tic District ii could not have proceeded
lomg line better calculated to accomplish that
purpose than the purianica criticism OF the In |
else Board Tor that regulation. The iutcrprcta- !
ton OF the law by the committee is more in the !
interest OF the saloon than is that OF the Excise /
Board, in that the committee would have the law |
conhuc the sale OF table wines and liquors TO the |!
saloons and liquor louscN which do other bust |
ness. 1t would compel Senators and Representa-
ivc~ well other residents OF the District to |
atronLc liquor dealers or saloons instead of |
allowing the members OF their families to enter |
general grocery store with them and do tic family
marketing in section while they pass behind |
the rail the other side and order A case OF
champagne lor dinner party. or l case OF beer
Tor domestic use.
Senators >h,putrd ard Iorc> may believe in
prohibition oi the cxtrcrcst Kind. that would FRO
lihit the u~c 8 well a. the sale OF liquors, but
neither OF them even Capt. Ilobson la, gone |
hat lar in proposing prohibition law Tor the !