New-York tribune., 1918-02-27

the prohibition sort by constitutions al
enactment was starting d bad habit.
lie pointed out that Oklahoma, with a
small part of New York's population,
vas the equal of New York when it
came to ratifying Federal amendments.
Hits "Amendment Habit"
"New York is the last state that
should encourage the amendment
habit" he continued, "New York State
is the last that should submit to the
interference by other states with its
own purely local affairs. Nor should
you interfere with the affairs of other
states. You are none too popular now
in these United States. You go out
West and you'll find that politicians
make their living denouncing you"
Then he launched into an academic
defence of localities being permitted
to manage their own affairs. 1t was a
stirring defence, The legislators sat
up and listened enraptured. Ex-Gov-
ernor Martin II. Glynn. who had played
host to Mn. Bryan on his arrival here,
leaned forward to drink in the words.
And when the former Senator from
Texas finished, the vets cheered and
stamped their feet and clapped their
hands, and the faces of the drys were
long.
that the vets had finished And Mr..
would first present Mrs. Ella a. Boolc,
president Of the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union. She began by pay
ing g tribute to Senator Bailcy's
speech. And the faces of the drys grew
longer. And having paid the tribute
she said:
"But have heard that same speech,
or the better part of it, delivered once
before. 1t was done at Washington
when certain people were opposing
woman suffrage"
And she looked sweetly at Senator
Bailey and Mr. Wheeler.
And the drys simply howlcd, and the
vets, when they recovered from the
shock. laughed also.
"Women appear here for the Grat
time as voters" continued Mrs Boole,
"And we come now with authority to
ask you to ratfy this amendment.
wish to ask the sa!oonkecpers why they
have not introduced here Some of the
big brewers and the big saloonkccpers
and some of the lowdown saloonkcepers
and some Of the finished products of
the saloons. No one who has spoken
here for their cause is III any way
identified with their cause.
81 remind you that there are 47,000
members of our organization and all
of us are old enough to vote. Public
sentiment is against rum. The gov
ernment in war forbids the sale of
!ntoxicants to men in uniform. Why
protect the soldier at the front and
not his brother at home? Is it that
the government must have revenue
Is 1t that the boy at home must drink
liquor enough to provide an income
tax to support his brother at the front? =?
Remember that there are twenty seven
dry states" Whereupon dozen women
in the centre of the chamber unfurled
line of twentysevon pennants, each
bearing the name of prohibition
state.
Mr.. Bryan followed Mrs. Booe. His
appearance was the signal for volley
Of handclapping and cheering, which
he finally stayed with d smile and
wave of his hand
He commented on the fact that the
fight of the drys at the hearing was
started by a woman. Then he added:
"And this woman would never have
/ been allowed to vote if the interests
arrayed behind the opposition had
their way"
He said that the real fight Of the
drys was the fight against the money
/ back of the saloon business.
The reason they are for the refer
endum and against the ratification of
/ the Federal amendment is that the big
cities, brewery and distillery ridden
would override the vote in the rural
/ Districts" continued Mr.. Bryan.
Senator Bailey has spoken of the
sanctity of the Constitution. But
/ jefferson, the writer of the Declara-
/ ton of Independence, at whose feet
/ Senator Bailey and | have sat, said
/ that the Constitution should be
changed every generation, as a con-
/ stitution is made for the living and not
for the dead.
"The brewers say that prohibition
IS purely q local affair In my home
town of Lincoln, when the question was
before the voters. they sent two Of
their biggest lawyers from adjoining
! states into Lincoln to tell its people
how they should vote. We must not
forget that while the brewers are
! telling us that prohibition is a purely
local affairs they have working day and
/ night an active national organization.
"Ihe hight was really between the
I home and the saloon and the saloon is
an outlaw and d fugitive from justice.
The saloon is the only business
which does not exhibit its finished
I product as an advertisement. Alcohol
is poison. Yet you license men to
sell it to poison other men. You won't
| license men to spread hog cholera in