Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-12-16
KNOCKOUT HANDED.
Holm BARLEYCORN|
HURTS NEW YORK
Leaders of Wet Forces, Dis.
pensers Of Liquors and
Wiseacres Astounded.

/ New York, Dec. ls.-The knock
out delivered John BarIeycorn"
by the United States supreme court,
in declaring wartime prohibition con.
stitutional, came as tremendous
blow to leaders of the VETS" dis
pensers of liquors, the wiseacres
who have been predicting wet"
as we'll as a merry Christmas for
the average man with thirst.
I'VE do not care to criticize the
supreme court and have no COM
ment to make at this time" was
the only statement forth coming from
A. w. Slaight. executive secretary
OF the association opposed to ma
tional prohibition. He added how
ever, by way of chaser" that his
organization was concerned chiefly
with combating the 18th amend
ment and had mo direct interest"
in the wartime act.
Not All Optimism Gone.
But the "wets" had not entirely
lost their optimism. T. R. Buckner,
of the firm of Root, Clark, Buckner
and Rowland, who have led the
legal forces of the "antis' declared
it all rested with the president and
senate, whether Americans were
once more to taste red liquor" If
the senate ratifies the peace treaty
before January 10, wnen constitu-
tional amendment becomes effective,
and the president Immediately is
sues a proclamation declaring war
and prohibition at an end, then all
will be we'll, according to Mr..
Buckner.
The blow fell hardest OH the
thousands of saloon keepers and
their white aporned assistants, who
have been preparing to pass the
yule tide with unprecedented sales,
Motor trucks were tuned up await
ing the signal for dash to the
warehouse and return; advertising
posters and pamphlets had rolled
from many printing press. All
that was lacking was immunity from
the law
To Accelerate Trials.
In this connection Assistant Fed
eral District Attorney Matthews, in
charge of prosecution of offenders
against the law in this district, said
there is likely to be IN acceleration
of the trials of some 800 offenders
already arrested for illegal sale of
liquor and a decrease in the number
of arrests of new offenders.
He said the federal courts had
been in no haste to pass upon the
800 cases, owing to the uncertain
constitutional status of the war,
time prohibition act, while appeals
were being taken to the supreme
court, but that now the cases would
be pushed to trial.
Won't Pass on Verdict.
Mr.. Matthews was unwilling to
pass upon the verdict of Colonel
Daniel L. Porter, chief of the rev.
enue agents in this district. who re-
Gently stated that New York was
the dryest town in the United States
at present, but said that those in a ,
position to know and Judge. init
mated that there were many COM
munities where liquor was less diff
cult to obtain. ......
Colonel Porter, who is entrusted
with the enforcement of the prohi
bition law in the district of New
York, said that his Office was going
on with its work as usual, averaging
IS arrests a day for violations of the
act He also declared that there
was very little good whisky being
sold in New York and that Gotham
ties were getting chiefly "nonbev-
erage alcohol" His staff is giving
special attention to the suppression
Of sales of wood alcohol which
menaces the lives of persons in
iulping in it.