The Washington times., 1917-02-19
DRY BILL FLAYED
BY NOTED REFORMER
Declares Plan Would Hinder
and Obstruct Honest
Prohibition.
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erendum) and confiscatIon OF legally
owned property without scompensa-
tion.''
Mr.. Gibboney emphasized the fact
that IL the saloons in Washington
were put out OF business the people
would be taxed to raise the revenue
now derived from the liquor traffic.
Blamer Government.
He dwelt at length on the fact that
the Government had been "partlceps
criminos" in the liquor business
since the days OF George Washing
ton and last year took more than
$500, ,000.0 900 from the traffic, but now
wished to break the partnership with
the saloonkeepers standing all the
loss.
ain the days OF George Washing
ton," he said, "the man who brewed
justice by conhscating legally held
sidered q reprobate and a contempt
ible character, as some moralists and
politicians regard him today, but he
was considered q good citizen and q
patriot.
Would Turn Over In Graves.
''If George Washington, william
Penn and Benjamin Franklin could
know today what the people and the
Congress OF the United States are
thinking OF doing in the way OF in
justice by confiscating legally-held
property and legally held rights, they
would more than turn over in their
graves"
Mr.. Gibboney said he had never
touched liquor In his life, and was
unalterably opposed to the liquor traf-
fic, but he wanted to "glve the men in
this business a square deal, a manly
deal and an honest deal" He waxed
eloquent as he demanded that Con-
gress provide for compensating all
men put out OF business In the liquor
traffic or any other industry.
Part Of Address.
Mr.. GIbboney said In part:
'Tn the first place, this bill was
passed by the Senate, and now comes
before this committee of the House of
Representatives without the people
of the District of Columbia, whom 1t
is designed to affect, having been per-
mitted any voice in the proceedings,
or the slightest opportunity to indi-
cate whether such an act would or
would not have the support and sane
tion of q majority OF the community.
'In a matter so inseparably in
voIving the rights and liberties and
personal habits and desires Of q peo-
pie. obviously and beyond the pos
sibility OF successful contradiction,
this 10 absolutely antagonistic to the
whole theory and principle Of a Gov
ernment such as ours, which, from
the beginning has rested upon the
consent Of the governed"
Dangerous PaternalIsm.
''The proposed action would sub
stitute for democracy the most dan
gerous form of paternalism, and in
SO doing would, at the same time, re-
incorporate into our national life,
and in a legislative way sanction, the
hated principle of taxation without
which we once wiped
out with the blood of the nation-the
TO, and refusal to accept
which, well might be said to have
formed the cornerstone OF this nation.
at seems to me that at no time
could Congress AFFORD to sanction
such procedure. and that particularly
1t Is to be frowned upon and sum-
marty Tegecteu IN tnlS. nOuT OF inc
crisis, when unauestioned
respect for the wisdom and Justice
of 4he Government is to be desired
above all things, and when, at any
moment, national unity may be the
instrument through which national
honor and integrity are to be su-
stained and conserved.
Il fail to Sc how such action could
be made consistent with clear reason
or sound logic. or that spirit OF
American Justice and patriotism
which we will not allow any other
people to flaunt.
These are days when much Is being
said. when the blood OF men is Grim
soning half the world. and human life
is held cheaply in the balance against
rights.' 1t seems to me
that we could not do better at this
time than to practice at home that