The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1917-02-09
SAYS JOSEPH OEDAA
President of National Whole sale
Liquor Dealers Association
Attacks knti-Saloon League
For Trying to FOist ProMbi.
tin On Capital City Without
a Referendum

In the Cincinnati Enquirer appeared
the following reply to Wayne B. Wheel
er, of the Anti-Saloon League.
President Joseph Debar, of the Ma
tional Wholesale Liquor Dealers Asso.
citation, yesterday replied to the spe-
cial dispatch in the Enquirer Under a
Washington date line as follows:
Wayne B. Wheeler, of the Anti.
Saloon League, tries TO defend the III
constituencies Of that organization
now engaged in an effort 10 prevent
! the Congress from giving home rule
to the people of the District OF Colum-
bia on the liquor question. If the peo-
pie have the righc to better their con-
ditiOn, as Mr.. Wheeler claims. in any
unit of government, then the people
should have the right to decide by
vote, first of what that betterment cen-
sists, and, secondly. if a majority Of
the people want it.
There are great many good PEG
pie in the District OF Columbia-quite
as good as the Anti-Saloon League
lobby now besieging the capital-who
do not believe that prohibition would
better conditions in TIE District These
voters have right to be heard or this
question. And if some people thinb
that prohibition would better condi-
tions, then the voters have a right to
know if majority desire this alleged
betterment.
"Afrad of Defeat
"Mr. Wheeler knows that TIE Sen
ators who voted for the Underwood
amendment are quite as coed lawyers
as he is. he is not troubled about The
legal validity Of the aneuiment. but
he is afraid Of being desc2tet ct The
polls on this question BY tie people
With his usual urfairness NJ. Wheeler.
If quoted correctly, would have the
readers Of the Enquirer believe that
the proposed prohibition bill is direct
Ell only against the saloons n tie Dis
trict. whether at wholesale or Il re-
tail. 1t would close all retail liquor
stores, even where no saloons exist
and where liquor is sold only in orig
inal packages not to be imbibed on the
premises
The Supreme Court of the United
States in deciding the Warehouse Re.
ceipt Cases, February "a, 1914, rem
dered unanimous decision concern
ing the liquor business in the follow
ing language:
We know of no reason for thus
condemning honest transactions which
grow out OF the recognized necessities
of lawful business
Thus the highest tribunal in our
land has unanimously declared the
liquor business TO be lawful business
that the business has necessities and
that the court recognized these neces.
sites. y lawful business has the right
to exist, especially when encouraged
for generations by the granting of Ii.
! censes in the capital of the nation To
destroy this lawful business without
compensation, even by a majority of
the people, is a crime. To destroy il
without the sanction of a majority of
re voters is a greater crime and is In.
defsnsihle tyrGany. All of the civilized
80 cns Of the world grant compensa.
is when Withholding licenses or
, ,;C'inating any phase of the liquor
business. Even Russia, in suppressing
vodka as a war measure, coniscated
no mans property. Russia ceased to
use state monopoly and Immediately
imposed other taxes to take the place
of profits derived from the sale of
vodka"