Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-15
Com PERS
FEARS DRY
EF T ECT s
ON LABOR
Union Men From Every State
March to Capitol Steps to
Advocate Partial Pro-
hibition Repeal.

aSnlngtOn, June l4.-OrRdnlZeu
labor, bringing to congress Saturday
in public demonstration its protest
against prohibition of beer and wine,
gave warning that the tranquility of
the working classes might be seri-
ously menaced by enforcement of
the wartime prohibition law.
Samuel Gompers, head of the
American Federation of Labor, said
he was "apprehensive of results"
fearing labor would not adjust itself
to the new conditions.
While he declared labor leaders
would do everything they could to
control the situation, he was unable
to say what individual workers will
do"
In a three-hour meeting on the
eastern steps of the capitol, other
advocates of wine and beer prohibi-
ton repeal protested that the pro-
vision was striking at the personal
liberty of the masses and was taking
lllIlllOHS Va WOIh hClS dH dSSuS-
toned part of their daily food.
A crowd of several thousand, said
by labor officials to represent union
men in every state, came by special
trains for the flag day protest meet
ing and cheered again and again
declarations that the people never
had been given an opportunity. to
express themselves on prohibition.
Applause also greeted every predic-
,tion that the bar on beer and wine
would increase unrest among the
masses.
Fear Congress Won't Act.
Three representatives, John F.
Fitzgerald of Boston and Adolph ].
SABBATH and John w. Rainey OF Chi
cago, all democrats, addressed the
meeting, predicting that if congress
did not modify the July law, Pres
ident Wilson would do so by procla-
nation. They agreed there was lit
tie prospect congress would act.
1t was at hearing before the
senate judiciary committee that Mr..
Gompers expressed apprehension
over the outlook. He told the COM
mittee it was his opinion from
long knowledge of the habits and
thoughts of the workers "that moth
ing could be done by congress so
prejudicial to the peace and tran
guilty of the masses" as the abso-
lutte prohibition law. He asked that
the beer provision be modified only
to permit sale of the beverage when
containing not more than 2 "a per
cent alcohol.
Claim Unjust Discrimination.
Later, speaking at the capitol
meeting, the federation president
said prohibition would affect the
richer and poorer classes in vastly
different way, the 1aborer being un
able to stock his cellar for future
use. 1t was an unjust discrimina-
tion, he protested, that the rich,
the employers, the business men,
may have their booze at leisure for
their whole life time guaranteed,
and the right of the worker to get
a glass of beer when he can denied
to him"
The working people, he asserted,
we're not asking for intoxicants, be-
cause the honest workman did not
want them, but were only pledging
for "a fair opportunity to live orr
whole lives" AS he spoke Mr..
Gompers held up a small American
flag, to which he repeatedly referred
as the symbol of individual liberty
now violated.
Although union officials previous
ly had estimated more than 100000
workers would take part in the pro-
test, the crowd did not fill the CAP
itol plaza. Among them were more
than 100 women of the anti-prohi-
bition league, organized in Balti-
more. and led by Mrs. E. Rooney Of
San Francisco, who threw the meet
ing into a momentary tumult by
mounting the speakers table and
shouting that it would take a wo-
man to "put across" personal lib
erty in the United States.