The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1918-12-13
Nv nhIsonu Lht LeIL
Representative Cloud Receives
Message
From N. Y. Booze Advocate
Who
Says Responsibility Too Great
For
LEGISLATORS TO DECIDE
He Gets Reply That Ought to
Acquaint
Him With Prohibition Facts in
Ka,,coc
EGISLATORS TO DECIDE
Him With Prohibition Facts in
Kansas
The SunAower State Has Tried
Prohibition and Found it Good,
That's Why She Will Ratify
Unanimously ,a.a

elect of the Seyenty-Sccond District,
Kingman county, Kansas, was the re-
cipient OF nine-page circular letter
from John Nee. Bowman, New York,
urging that ratification of the Prohi-
,bition amendment be defeated by the
Kansas Legislature. He addressed
Mr. Cloud as candidate. Mr.. Cloud
waited until after the election to reply
to Mr.. Bowman. His reply is here
with produced
/ Mr.. Bowman advances no new ar
gument against the National Prohibit
ton amendment, but attempts to show
how situation might arise where the
vote of one man would determine the
vote OF the amendment. That is, he
assumes a case where IS states have
ratified, one branch Of the Both state
has ratified and it is put to a vote in
the second branch of this Legislature
and is carried by one majority. He
thinks this would be a tremendous re-
sponsibility to place upon any one
man, forcing the hateful Prohibition
doctrine" upon a whole nation. He
does not deny that ratification of this
Prohibition amendment is proceeding
in the prescribed manner as set down
in the national constitution itself, but
contends that the provisions of the
amendment arc not fair.
Not until booze is jeopardized has
there been any question of the justice
of the right of three-fourths of the
states to ordain that an amendment
be added to the Constitution of the
United States.
Mr.. Clouds answer to this fellow,
who evidently represents the hotel in
terests, that is, the wet faction of
those interests, is right off the Skillet,
steaming hot. Here it is:
Mr.. Clouds Reply
November II, 1918.
Mr. John Nee. Bowman,
New York.
Dear Sir;
Your nine-page circular letter of
October rs to candidates for the state
Legislature was not answered before
this time for the reason that | was
waiting until after election to see
whether or not | was elected. was.
On this day, November II, 1918, while
the news is being flashed across the
country that the war is over, and the
entire nation rejoces and is glad be-
cause of the fact that we and our
allies have been successful in inter
fering with the personal rights" of
Wilhelm II, it seems an appropriate
time to answer you.
Let me say in the beginning that
the judgment the brewers and distill-
ers show in sending these letters to
Kansas legislators is right in line with
the political judgment they have
shown for some time past. For if you
have any idea at all concerning the
opinion of this country in regard to
booze, you know that every cent spent
in this campaign you are putting on
in Kansas is absolutely wasted
Watch this predictions The prohibit
tory amendment will not only be one
of the very first acts adopted by the
Kansas Legislature, but it will be
passed without single vote against
it either in the House or the Senate.
The reason? We have had Prohibi-
ton for over forty years and we know
what it is. You wasted your sweet
ness on the desert air" when you
made this appeal to Kansas.
| note that you state what respon-
IL. Ii
should cast the deciding vote in the
nation and if | should cast the decid-
ing vote in the state; that my vote
alone might decide the question for
one hundred million people It is not
to be that close, but if it should be.
the proudest moment of my life would
be when cast that vote in the affim-
alive. However, I would not inter-
fere with the personal rights" nor
the constitutional privileges" of any
one, if. in the exercise of those rights,
that person did not interfere with the
rights of others. But when | know
of the pernicious influence of the
brewers and distillers in the politics
of this country; of their saloons be-
ing the headquarters and gathering
places for all those opposed to good
government; of the class of candidates
they have backed for office; when I
vote against that sort of thing | don't
consider that i am interfering with
their personal rights, but that I am
protecting the rights of the other
fellow
! note that you make plea not to
decide this matter now while we have
two million soldiers in France who are
unable to vote For the brewers and
distillers to make plea along patri-
otto lines at this time is an insult to
every soldier in the army. If they are
patriotic why did they put up most OF
the money to the German-American
Alliance, whose charter was revoked
by Congress because of its pro-Ger-
man activities? Why did they give
most of the money to Arthur Bris-
bane with which to buy the Washing
ton Times? Why did Congress think
it necessary to put restricted zone
around the camps and forbid the SELL