The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1917-03-16
Cigar Makers International
Union OF America.
Hon. Ben Johnson, Chairman,
District of Columbia Committee

Washington, D. c.
Washington, D. c. March 16, 1917
Dear Sir:
About two weeks ago addressed
a telegram to you, calling attention
TO the fact that the members of the
Cigar Makers International Union
of America were vitally interested
in the measure before your Com
mittee, dealing with the prohibition
question in the District of Colum
bia, the Injurious influence Of such
a measure upon the more than one
hundred thousand workers in the
cigar industry. | ask ed that either
myself or Mr.. Joseph Dehan might
have the opportunity of appearing
before yohr committee and laying
before them the facts and figures
which weuld demonstrate the un-
wisdom aud injustice which such a
measure would infict were if
enacted into law. Mr.. d han has
been in constant attendance at the
meetings of the Committee and has
had no opportunity of presenting
the facts which have been placed
in his possession. For nearly two
weeks | have been serving, nearly
every day and many evenings, as a
member of the Advisory Commits
sion with the Council of National
Defense, dealing there with mo-
mentous subjects of first Importance
in the present situation in which
our country is placed, and l have
therefore been unable to attend any
meeting of your committee.
OF course, it would be useless to
undertake to present an argument
in this letter against the proposal
for prohibition, either in the Dis
trict of Columbia or elsewhere.
Suffice it TO herein state that nv
travels, observation and experience
show beyond measure of doubt
that prohibition by law is an iui
quitous proposition that carries
within its wake not only denial Of
freedom, fails to accomplish the
purpose of curing the drink evil
an evil admitted by all-and thar it
! prohibition by law is violative of
the fundamental principles of hu-
man freedom, that there is no
agency so po ent to make men tenn
perate in all their habits as the
m 1ch misunderstood and misrepre-
sented organized labor momement.
movement which brings improve
ment in the mental and physical
status of eur people and reduce to
minimum the desire, the taste or
the habit of intemperance.
Then again, the method by which
he measure now before Congress
is sought TO be forced throrob
without due consideration Of all ele
ments and all the people involved,
and without even giving the people
of the District of Columbia an CD.
portunity to express themselves
thereon.
It ought not to require an argu-
ment to any American Co gress-
man to convince him against pro
cedure unheard of in the legislative
annals of our country, and particu-
larry when proposal is of a char
acter so vioiative of rights and in
terests and involving 50 large
number of people.
Today our country and our peo-
pie are confronted by a crisis in
their lives, no one can now fortell
its widespread influences and con-
sequences. In such situation, is
it patriotic to divide our people in
the face of such a crisis
l have only referred indirectly
to the great economic injury to the
more than one hundred thousand
members in the cigar industry, and
to their families, involved in the
proposal before your Committee.
How far reaching the evil influence
of such piece of legislation would
result upon the lives of several mil
lions of workers, directly and indi-
rectly employed in the industry
sought to be crushed, surely de-
serves some consideration; surrey
more consideration than can be
otvan RI If in the limit of tbraa