Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-04
Defends Laboring People.

II have no brief against Mr.. Com
pers. and | appreciate what he did
during the war;" Mr.. Cooper SAID, IN
his defense of laboring people against
the cleaim that they are. as unit IN
favor of light wines and beer But
/ am sure that when he makes the
statement that organized LABOR Is
against prohibition, he makes ms
statement.
The American liquor traffic is skulk
ing behind the broad backs of Ameri-
can laboring men. RepresentatlVe
Cooper said. after explaining that he
had Just undergone an operation and
would have to go back to the hospital
this afternoon. He could not miss the
opportunity, however. he explained, to
register his disapproval of the claim
being made concerning labor and pro-
hibition.
There will be no repeal of war
time prohibition, if read the temper
of the Sixty-sixth Congress Alright"
Mr.. Cooper promised the -Anti-Saloon
LeaguerS.
i. mis- statement was made by Repre-
sentative Cooper following an i'm
passloned statement that the liquor
i, traffic is seeking to make it's last
stand behind the laboring man. and
represent him as in favor of liquor.
Booze, in his last hour" Mr.. Cooper
said, 'is taking advantage of the
political unrest that came at the end
Of the great war. and threatens to
ally itself with anarchy and bolshe-
vism unless II is able to secure some
concessions
1.-The liquor interest declares that if
the workingman does not get his
booze he will fall ready prey to the
agitators."
Representative Cooper held aloft a
mo beer-no work" button. and de-
ment in which, for the first time in
the history Of the country, small
band Of men were banded together to
defy the law.
aBanded to Defy Law
THAT is bolshevism. that is an
Archism," the speaker asserted. Ter
rible things will happen, warns the
mouthpiece Of the booze traffic. And
high placesi-here the audience
voiced its understanding of the
speakers allusion-"have been i'm
pressed by this" -.
Mr. Cooper said he had always re-
pudiated the attempt to make the beer
h lsSsr' whisky bottle the e"0'e"S OF
DR.. Howard A. Kelley of Johns Hop
kins University told the convention
that the medical profession is against
alcohol. either as drug or a beverage.
a.v.lcai men resent. he declared, the
"impertinence of wet men dragging
medicine into the struggle in their be-
half"
The speaker classed alcohol with the
social diseases in it's harmful tnfu.
ence on humanity, and declared that
alcohol. breaks down the moral sense.
"man's best protection" and even de-
Jubilation over the ratification of.
national prohibition held sway at the
formal opening Of the convention this
morning. Anti-Saloon League, omcials
from various states told of work &C
complished. Rev. Howard H. Russell
is presiding at today's sessions.
Mrs. Gertrude BONN, editor OF the
American Indian. made plea for
legal protection Of Indians against the
peyote bean, which is used by them as
an intoxicant- .
She declared that the habit is
spreading throughout the reserva-
lions. and perhaps may take the place
Of whiskey throughout the nation.
DR.. Harvey Wiley, Rev. T. Ukai OF
Japan and other speakers were on
the program for this afternoon. Sem
ator Capper Of Kansas Is to address
the convention tonight.