The sun., 1919-05-25

permitted ratification TO TO through was
| that they and all other liberty loving"
citisens were asleep while prohibition
, was being put over on US" The worst
words in the speakers vocabularies were
devoted to describing how many kinds
OF thieves and low life liars the drys
were.
All the Congress that had favored pro-
hibition was "cowardly," said Chairman
Hannah, when the applause had died
down enough to permit him to be heard.
And even the Congress cannot com
struct our liberties and our constitutional
rights without our consent" (Great ap-
plause.) II I'VE" cannot get justice
from either the Democrats or the Re-
publicans, continued Mr.. Hannah, Tets
ali Join hands with the American Labor
party" (Uproarious applause.)
The boyish looking Representative
Haskell of Brooklyn. who followed. ar
gued that the prohibition amendment be
resubmitted to the voters, his prediction
being that the elective choice OF the
people would be overwhelmingly against
the drys. He held no brief" said the
Representative, for the "iiquor interests
or any other selfish interest,"" but merely
stood for personal liberties" And II a
vast secret service organization is built
UP TO enforce the prohibition law Repre-
sentative Haskell said he will introduce
q bill to make the same secret service
organization give Its time also to en-
forcing the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
amendments, which have to do with
equal franchise liberties for blacks as
we'll as whites, but which, he said. are
disregarded shamefuily.
Priest Speaks for Temperance.
Lieut.. Mcdonald told of the hard work
he and the other soldiers had to do in
France and OF their chagrin because the
drys had put It over on them" while they
were lighting abroad. He branded as
false q printed statement of the vets in
which the prohibitionists accused the
French Of being poisoned and stupehed
with alcohol"
Father Bedford, next on the list of
speakers, got the biggest hurrah of the
night when he stood forth In clerical
dress and began to speak in the cause OF
temperance and against prohibition. He
owned no brewery stock and owned no
saloon, said the Brooklyn priest. amid
much laughter and applause; but he pre-
dicted that In an early issue of the drys
publication there win be a cartoon de-
picting "a rum soaked clergyman ad-
dressing a rum soaked mob" (Laugh.
ter and applause.)
The drys. said Father Bedford, had
employed ubiquitous agents. spent am
limited money and kept no books" and
he added that he believed that most o.
the money handed out to these agents
had never left their pockets"
When is a thing necessary asked
the priest. evidently laying thesfounda-
ton for an academic argument
"Never !" roared a leather lunged person
Hw..W Aa- l.I
meeting gave way TO merriment.
For $50 years." continued Father
Belford, America has grown, and in the
last few years she has taken her place at
the very head Of the nations. All this
has been brought about without prohi-
bition. Less than per cent. of our men
who submitted themselves to examina-
ton for military service were rejected
because of their addiction to drink
Says Religion IL Misrepresented.
"one of the most noticeable things
about this measure is that most OF its
advocates are ministers. They are mis-
representing religion. The church I be-
long to has lived about 1000 years
Even though some of you disagree with
her doctrines, you may respect her ex-
Derience. She IL champion OF tenn
perance but not of prohibition.
Among the prelates of Europe there
Is one man who stands revered wher-
ever the Allies have trod. That is Car
dinal Mercier Of Belgium, who stood up
against the Germans and defied them
with all his might. He has been a user
of wine all his life"
In conclusion Father Bedford said:
President Wilson knows as well as the
next man which way the wind blows,
and he is putting the question right up
to q Republican Congress"
C A. Windle, editor OF the IconocIast,
denounced prohibition as a Mohamme-
daI dostrine and asserted that under a
prohibition government all liberties
eventually would be curtailed. He spoke
Of Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lin
coin as two great opponents OF the pro-
hibition idea.
He said that as long as there is a
law of fermentation It will be possible
for people to get drunk.
At the conclusion OF the meeting resp
buttons were unanimously adopted op-
posing the enforcement of the Eigh-
teenth Amendment and calling for i'm
mediate repeal OF wartime prohibition.