The Washington herald., 1916-12-20
STOP use OF TOBACCO
NEXT, WRITERS Fear
Alexander Sidney Lanier Sends Protest
Against Sheppard Dry Bill.

The following letter has been sent to
Senator Oscar Underwood:
My dead Senator Underwood-Apropos
of the discussion In the Senate on the
Sheppard bill to impose prohibition on
the District. permit me to make the fol-
lowing observations:
I wish to commend most heartily your
just. manly and common-sense attitude
toward the measure. as reported in the
public press.
ct hold no brief for the liquor Inter-
ests: and prohibition, local or national
is per Sc of little consequence to me per-
sonally
"As citizen. however. have observed
with alarm for some time the steady en-
croachments upon the Individual rights
and liberties Of the people in this country
under the guise Of social uplift' and
moral REFORM and feel II Is about
time for those to speak out who believe
the individual has some Inherent rights
and personal liberties that even law
makers, as well as other members OF So
ciety. should respect
Objectionable Tyranny.
I can conceive Of no tyranny more OBJ
tectionable, because irresponsible. than
the censorship and regulation Of the
morals and personal habits Of the ma
jortty Of the people by the organized ef-
forts and propaganda Of a fanatical and
purttanicl minority; and I apprehend
that unless some resistance u offered to
I this wave Of so-caIled moral reform, and
social uphft, the time IL not far distant
when the jealous, and holy reformers
will be denying Us the use and consola-
ton Of tobacco, and the thousand and
one other little personal pleasures that
contribute so much to the charm of So
Cial intercourse.
Some members OF Congress seem to
think that because the States they rep
resent are dry 1t is good politics. II not
a mandate to them, to impose prohibition
upon the District. irrespective Of the
wishes Of the people.
There is no justice in such a conten-
tion. and it would be in violation Of one
Of the most salutary and sacred prin-
ctples in our political economy. namely,
the right OF local self-government-a prin-
ctple our honored President has frankly
avowed his adherence to in general. and
in regard to measures OF this nature in
particular.
His well-known and sturdy opposition
to all attempts to force upon a people
without their consent measures regulat-
ing their conduct and personal habits has
caused the supporters OF this measure to
tack 1t on to an appropriation bill for
fear that If passed separately and on its
merits he would veto it This of itself
is evidence OF their own distrust Of the
merits and Justness OF the measure.
Reminder to Conxre.s
Furthermore. the members Of Congress
should be reminded that there are nearly
10000 people In this District who are of
equal virtue and higher intelligence than
the same number in any other locality
in the country They pay one-half of the
taxes for the support Of the District:
and We submit that in all fairness, and
in the interest OF the basic principle of
the right of local salf-government, that.
at least. in a matter affecting their per-
sOnal rights. habits and material inter-
ests. such as prohibition in the District
It should be submitted to them. as it
has been to the people in the several
States
This brings me to the question raised
in the debate as to the constitutional
right of Congress to submit the question
10 the vote OF the people. It Is contend
cd that Congress cannot delegate its
power to iegisIate on this subject
such a contention is too puerile for
the serious consideration of any one with
even the most elementary knowledge of
our constitutional law. A vote OF the
people of the District on the question
would be simply advisory. and no lin
itation upon the power Of Congress to
act as It saw At. irrespective of the vote
or surrender Of It's power In the premises
1t would be no more a delegation of the
legislative power Of the Congress than
for Congress to pass a bill on the favor
able report OF one Of its committees made
entirely upon the representation OF citi-
zens concerning its merits in a public
hearing before the committee.
Settled by Precedent
But furthermore, the right OF Congress
to submit the question to the vote OF the
people has been already settled by pre-
cedent. Many years ago Congress con-
ferred upon the people Of the District the
right OF local self-government. We had
a governor. and legislature, the mem
bers Of which were selected by direct
vote of the resident people. and all mat
ters of local concern and necessity were
attended to by the local government
surely, II Congress had the power to
thus create a local municipal government
and confide to its Jurisdiction the exten-
siye police powers exercised by II, 1t can
not be gainsaid that Congress may con-
stitutionally exercise the single and lesser
power of referring to the people of the
District the question OF whether or not
they want q dry city, and refrain from
the exercise Of its power to make II dry
II the people are opposed to it"
ALEXANDER SIDNEY LANIER.