Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-15

Demands 2 3-4 Per Cent
Beer and Non-lntoxicat-
ing Light Wines.
WAR "DRY" ACT is SCORED

An army of labor men, all bearing
American flags. mohilized on the steps
of the Capitol and stretched in a
wide swath nearly to the limits OF
the Capitol Plaza yesterday after
noon to demand of Congress the right
to drink beer of IN per cent alcoholic
content and Intoxicating light
wines From all over the country this
Boston and Chicago, Houston. Tex,
and Buffalo, y. Y, were in line.
The Iegions of "wets" marched into
position waving American flags.
When they were assembled and John
Colpoys. delegate to the A. F. Of L.
from the local Central Labor Union.
was delivering the opening address
there appeared on the horizon another
body OF marcherD. rounding the cor
ner of East Capitol from LIST street
demonstration. Purple parAsols shone
in a line above white skirts and
waists At the head marched a woman
waving a red. white and blue para
sol.
Baltimore Women in Line.
There comes a delegation of pro-
hibittonists" was the statement from
a member of the crowd. Mr.. Colpoys
stopped his speech. All heads turned
from west to east. And the marchers
panzded lin. Muttered -threats rs to
what would happen to male ,prohtbi-
tionists II these were Of that clan
Strasglers on the edge Of the crowd
divided and danked the loncoming del
sgation on each side. The women
marched to the very steps Of the Cap
ttol. and Mrs. e. Rooney presented 200
women Of the Personal Liberty
League of Baltimore to the committee
in charge, and they shouted for beer
and light wines.
Mr.. Gompers Taken Ill, But Speaks
President Sam Gompers of the
American Federation of Labor was
obliged to fail out Of line at LIST street
and Maryland avenue northeast when
| he suddenly became Ill. An sautomo-
bile was pressed into service to rush
He later appeared before the Judi
ciary committee and then took the
stand for the fnal speech of the dem
onstration.
Holding mp a small American nag.
Mr.. Gompers declared IT was an en-
liberty and that 1T was deplorable
! that under this flag there should have
been foisted upon the people a most
vicious and unwarranted constitu-
J tlOnal am0nQment.
Tho Constitution Of the United
States Is a charter of guaranteed
rights in which the government is
denied power to interfere with the
rights of the people and the United
States" he continued. -For the .ffrst
time the Constitution has now as a
part of 1t provision which declares
| Thou shalt not 1t IN the first pro-
! vision to deny rights.
The man who has q glass Of beer
| at home with dinner cannot all his
cellar with booze. He can't NIL up
| no discrimination shown In q law by
| which the rich man Noan have booze
| for life guaranteed and the worker
| can't set his glass OF beer when he
| wants It.
I'VE are not advocates of intoxi-
| cants, but we ask the opportunity not
| only to preach hut to practice temper
! ance.
Those of the working classes who
are dfunkarcs are Of two classes; the
| man who Is out Of work and has no
spirit. and takes to drink for artificial
spirit; and the man who 10 overwork-
ed and underfed. who has no spirit
left either. and must also turn to the
artificial spirit"
| Mr.. Gompers said that the average
| working man who drank was never
theless a man Of steady habita He
| oecahHcu tuzat INC DOoy ne represented
asked only a fair opportunity 20 live
their own lives. You cannot change
| all our habits in the twinkIfne of an
eye" he declared.
Representative fitzgerald Speaks.
Representative Fitsgerald of Ma,ua-
chusetts. took tho stand altar N IN.
troductory speech by Mr.. Colpoys. He
| said the war prohibition measure IA
pending when tho war ended, and
added:
Il contend that q law which IL on
the statute books enacted as q war
measure weeks after the war wa
| over Is a lie on its face"
In reply to q voice from the crowd
that President Wilson would set aside
the wine and beer ban. Mr.. Fitz-
gerald shouted:
Yes. / know he's going to do il
I do not think he will go back on
you. Your only hope is woodrow
Wilson"
| Congress. Mr.. Fitzgerald declared
had 'crammed prohibition down the
throats' of the people without even
giving an opportunity for expression
Of public opinion.
Tho honest and decent way to get
prohibition is to do 1t as the Law
directs-let each state settle It fol-
i