The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1917-01-13
SAYS JOSEPH DEBAR
President OF National Wholesale
Liquor Dealers Association
Attacks Aati.SGlocn League
, For Trying 10 FOisl PrOhibi-
tin on Capital City Without
J a Referendum

In tho Cincinnati Enquirer appeared
the following reply TO Wayne u. Wheel
Or, OF the AntiSu,oon League.
Presidont Joseph Dchar, OF tho Ma.
tiopal WholesaSo -Li,uUi Dealers Asso.
citation, yesterday replied ,o tho spe.
cial dispatch IN the Enquire: under
Washington date limo 40 follows:
"Wayne b. Whcc'cg, OF tho Anti.
Saloon League, tries TO defend the ina
eonsistCncies OF that organization,
now engaged iu an effort TO prevent
the Congress from giving home rule
70 the people Of tie District oI Colum.
oia on tho liquor question. l.. the peo.
pie have tho right TO Dcttor their con.
dition, az Mr. N'1ulor claims. In any
unit OF government. then tho people
should have the right TO decide by
vote, FIRST OF what that bet,crment con.
sists. and, secondly, II a majority Of
the people want o.
"Thoro are great many good peo,
pie In tho District oi Calumbla-quite
o. good as the AutLSalOon League
lobby now bCaicgmg the capital-who
do not believe that prohibition would
better conditions IN tho District These
voters have a right 10 be heard on this
question. And n soma people think
that prohibition would Lcttcr Cordi
tions, then tho voters have right to
know II a majority desire this alleged
bottermont
"Afrald Of Defeat"
Mr.. Whoo.or knows th9t the Sen.
ators who voted for tho Underwood
amendment are quite a8 cood lawyers
Is he is. II9 i3 not troubled about the
legal validity OF the amendment, but
no is afraid OF being defeated at the
polls on this question by the people.
With his usual uriairncss Mr. Wheeler,
n quoted correctly, would have the
Seaders OF the Enquirer believe that
ahe proposed prohibition bin Is direct.
cd only against the saloons I'm the Dis.
trict, whether at wholesale or at re.
tail. 1t would close all retail liquor
stores, even whore no saloons exist
and where liquor Is sold only IN orig.
inal packages rot to be in,Dibed on the
premises.
"The Supreme Court of the United
States In deCldiur tho Warehouse Re.
esipt Cases, February "a, 1914, rem.
dered n unanimous decision concern.
ing the liquor business in the follow.
)ng language:
! 1--WE know OF no reason FOR thus
eondemning honest transactions which
grow out ~ the recognized necessities
OF a lawful buslnC77'
"Thus the highest tribunal in our
land has unanimously declared the
liquor business TO be a lawful business,
that the business has necessities and
that the court recognized these noces.
stiles. "a lawful business has the right
10 exist, especially when encouraged
Tor generations by tho granting OF II.
esnses in tho capital OF the nation. To
destroy this lawful business without
compensation, even by a majority OF
khe people, is O crime. To destroy II
without the sanction OF a majority OF
the voters is greater crime and is I'm.
desensible tyranny. All OF the civilized
nations OF the world graGt compensa.
oDn when Withholding llconses or
eliminating any phase OF the liquor
business. Even Russia, IN suppressing
vodka as war measure, confscated
no mans property Russia ceased to
use state monopoly ana Immediately
imposed other taxes to take the place
Of profits derived from the sale OF