The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-09-25
BURT NOT
OPPOSED TO
DRY STATE
tContinued froIa Page on.I


made TO appear as an opponent OF
statewide prohibition. In his letter
he vigorously denies this implica.
ton and charges the wet" publicity
men with garbling his words 10 suit
their own purposes. MIR. Burt's let
ter follows:
Editor Courier Herald:
sec that the liquor men are again
up 20 their old tricks They are TAX
Ing extracts from a speech 1 made
when tho new constitution for the
state VAS being formed and have
taken out tuW lines I'm different
places and have Enrbled IL 50 the
whole meaning Is changed. This ar
tcle wac printed In your paper to-
day and rs so garhled 1 hardly knew
what 10 was myself Now. 4 simply
want TO say 10 my friends that eight
years ago when the constitution was
being formed there was an effort
made 10 put prohibition into the
constitution. | Whe noL-ln- favor of
1t Tor ! believed IL would defeat the
constitution. aS 1 did not believe the
sentiment for prohibition I'm the state
was strong enough To enforce the
r provision az that timo should ~ be-
/. como a part of the constitution. m
tho eight years that have elapsed
since that time the sentiment OF the
people OF the state has become
hibition and ! believe now such
law could be enforced Eack IA the
sixties, when We did have prohibition,
the sentiment Of the people was not
strong enough To- enforce the law and
they did not do IL. The change Ia
favor or temperance since that time
10 simply wonderful and today l be
lieye that prohibition could be en-
: forced l am sure that II has got TO
come ana tne so0neT the better. wo
6 have demonstrated the fact that IL
can be enforced In small units, that
is I'm the counties. until the larger
portion az the state Is now enjoying
prohibition, and | believe the senti-
ment - now strong enough 10 carry
this movement.
Z Now as 10 the speech OF mine from
: which the quotations were made, II
1T were not so long I might ask you
! 10 print IL entire so that the public
scould see whether or not l was In
favor OF prohibition. | have always
= been "A worker for the cause ~ tenn
perance and always shall be- and
shall DO what I can for prohibition.
Now. for them To take speech j
made eight years ago AT rho constitu-
tonal convention and gRrblc it and
take extracts from II. IL unfair 90
say the least. and the men who were
responsible Tor ~ should be ashamed
OF Themselves Now, my friends,
these people which VIII be sarbled as
this 81 mine Since Michigan has been
state | have always done my best
to try 20 control this trafnc. First
we tried license and that partially
controlled 10 for q time bat now
think the sentiment "a strerg enough
10 enforce prohibition. and I should
like 90 see " given "A trial Now. my
friends, do not have any fears when
you read these garblcd statements by
men who Will stoop 20 such things.
and remember am with you for
prob ihtion
regret 10 see the Federation az
labor take tho stand that Il ala, n
lowers tho standard % the lah0ring
men and 7 DO not believe 10 IL tho
sentiment % the rank aud Ale OF the
members 81 the federation.
II 10 always best when you see
statements ana extracts from speech
es made under different circum-
stances TO took upon them with sus-
pioiou-
" n. BURT.
aaRinaw. Mich. Sept Is