The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-11
RICE AND BURR MAY OPPOSE BRANDEIS
 ON OTHER GROUNDS
 THAN THOSE NAMED
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because laws have been enacted with which they cannot comply, because they cannot live unless they are vigilant and secure someone in authority to protect their interests. "All that man has will he give for his life,' and the business ex- istence of these men is dependent upon their exercising a vigilance, which you and I, whose occupations do not attract public attention, are not obliged to exer- cise Suppose that a shoemaker should not know from year to year whether he could practice his art; would not the man who had selected that trade be active in public affairs in order to secure the right to live? You can make politicians of shoemakers or of farners you can make politicians of any class of people, or of those in any occupation if you harass them, if you make it impossible for them to live unless they control, unless they have secured power to determine when, and how, and where they may live. You can remove liquor dealers from poli- tics by a very simple device-make the liquor laws reasonable
 DEFENDS THE DEALER
 If you will but recognize facts instead of closing your eyes to them, as these gentlemen of the law and order league have done, if you will accept the fact that liquor is desired by large majority of the voters of the commonwealth, and consequently that people will sell it, if you will recognize that and will make laws which do not unnecessarily harass those engaged in the business, if you will let them conduct it respectably-as a ma jority of these people desire to conduct their business-if you will permit them to earn, not merely money, but what is moro important, the esteem. of their fellowmen-the whole race of liquor-dealer politicians will soon pass away. The liquor dealers will become as inconspicuous in public life. as the butchers and bakers. They will devote their leisure and their means to such enjoyments as other do. instead of seeking to control officials and elections by fair means or by foul. You made the liquor dealers politicians as you made them criminals when you passed laws which were unreasonable and clash against the habits of the great mass of the people when you made their business precarious, when you selected that class of the community for invidious distinction and persecution. Repeal the obnoxious laws and, when once you have removed the real cause of this evll-the unhealthy conditions-nature will lend it's ever ready aid, and the body polite will recover.
 HAVE NO RIGHTS
 'I do not speak of these men as if they had peculiar rights They have no rights, MT. Chairman, beyond what is for the interest of the community. If the men who are creating this agitation were right instead of wrong in their views, and should be able to convince the great majority of voters that it is wise to abolish the liquor traffic, and possibly to do so. then every liquor dealer in the community would be obliged to drop that business and go into some other" MT. Johnson: "Supposing he refuse tc obey the law"
 Mr. Brandeis: "He cannot refuse tC obey the law if the majority uphold ths law. You cannot make law which vii be effectual that has not the moral sup port of majority of the people unless you establish despotism; and, on tht other hand, you cannot disregard law which expresses the will of the majority unless you invite anarchy
 Mir. Johnson: Isn't the existence of { statute proof of the will of the majority ? ! Mir. Brandeis: No. It Is evidence whicl creates presumption; but the presumption