The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-27
THE BREWERS.

patty with American ss-iai ideals and
political aspirations. They have long
despsed the sentiment that would rid
the country of the n-American beer
drinking custom and the un-Amertcan
beer saloon They have fought tenn
pcrance movements, corrective saloon
regulation movements, and local OPP
ton movements inch by inch, They
have meddled in and corrupted local
and state politics; they have interfered
in legislation: they have arrayed them
selves and their followers in the 1iq
uor trade, and exerted all the influence
they could purchase. or control through
intimidation. against the known and
pronounced wishes OF the people among
whom they have sought residence. hos
pltality- and opportunity
More than this, they have given sup
port to propaganda and a conspiracy
intended eventually to overthrow the
civilization which the great mass of
Americans at the foundation of their
nation, elected to preserve and per-
petuate. and to substitute for it
civilization alien to that mass. They
have encouraged the organization of
societies under various names and
pretenses. misleading and deceptive, in
tended gradually to supplant with the
German language the native and chosen
tongue OF this mass Behind the beer
halls, the beer gardens the turn halls;
behind the saengerbund, the lieder-
kranz. the turnverein; behind the Ger
man political agent in the form OF
symphony orchestra director or col
lege professor. or, as often proved to
be the case. OF a merchant and OF
manufacturer, has always been the
brewer ready and all too willing to
promote treschery and sedition in an
ftrf ff.ls Two ant
1t is no surprise. to people whose
eyes have been at last opened wide to
the perfidy OF the brewers, that they
stand accused. today, 81 conspiring to
central public opinion in the United
states through the columns OF pnr-
chased or subsidized newspapers The
revelations made by A. Mitchell Palmer,
United States custodian of alien prop
ertv. in an address before the Demo
cratic state committee OF Pennsylvania,
at Harrisburg. a few days ago, only
serve TO confirm what many have
known, and what thousands have sus-
pected and believed in these recent
months Mr., Palmer was speaking of
he menace OF the liquor interests,
especially Of the brewing interests. to
his own party and 20 his own state,
when he said
Let me say 10 you, as an illusfra-
ton of the lengths to which these In
terests will go, that the facts will soon
appear which will conclusively show
that twelve or fifteen German brewers
% America. in association with the
United States Brewers association, fur
nished the money, amounting TO sev
erai hundred thousand dollars. to buy
a great newspaper in one of the chief
cities of the nation; and its publisher,
without disclosing whose money had
bought that organ Of public opinion. In
the very capital of the nation. in the
shadow Of the Capitol itself has been
lighting the battle OF the liquor traf-
hc.~
Mr. A. Mitchell Palmer occupies one
Of the most responsible and confidential
posts al the disposal of the admins
tration. He has had at his command.
for a considerable period. all the IA
ciiities which the secret service of the
nation affords for the uncovering Of
alien enemy projects, enterprises and
aims He has seized, in behalf OF the
government. hundreds OF millions OF
dollars worth Of alien property. He
has managed very delicate branch OF
war business with great tact and dis
cretion What he says deserves atten-
ton and acceptance. One OF the things
W hich he said at the Harrisburg gath
erfng was that the organized liquor
traffic OF the country Is n vicious inter
est, ebecause II has been pro-German
IN its sympathies and. conduct" His
summing up of the counts in his In
dictment is worthy of preservation In
the memory of every American who
treasures in his heart the name and in
stitutions - democracy Said he;
why. you and know perfectly
well that it liz around these great brew
cry organizations, owned by rich men
almost all of them OF German birth
+ and sympathy. at least before we en-
tered the war. that have grown up the
societies. all the organizations OF this
! country intended 10 keep young Ger
man immigrants from becoming real
I American citizens. It is around the
+ saengerfests and the sarneerbunds, ana
organizations of that kind. generally
financed by the rich brewers, that the
young Germans that come to America
+ are taught TO remember FIRST the father
] land and second America. You remem-
her tho exposition OF the German
/ American alliance. brought out frat by
Mr. Hultnes in Pittsburg and afterward
+ in congress when the senate OF the
! United states revoked Its charter De
causs Of its dis|oyal character. II was
German liquor alliance, and every
body knows it | know that these great
/ interests have actually been willing to
+ finance great newspapers for spread
ing German propaganda and senh-
menfs in this country.
I One Of the reasons advanced Tor stay
ing the operation of nation wide pro-
! hibitiou In the United States Ia tnat
( the great interests" referred to ny
{ Mr. Palmer, the great brewing inter
ests, might not be hit too suddenly or
too hard Why should there he any
4 corrpunctions anywhere as to striking
these interests swiftly and severely.
after the revelations that have been
imade concerning their support OF pro
) German propa ganda and what has gone
! with IT. why should the government
a. Washington give further considera-
! ton TO such interests or to such peo-
ple7 Even now they are unrepentant
for what they have done, as unrepen-
tant as the nations from which they
sprany II is time to disarm and dis
able them, lest, like the countries
which stand first in their esteem, in
the desperation of defeat they attempt
to outdo themselves in barbarisn-
Christian Science Monitor.