Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-04
BOOZELOBBY
TRIES TO KILL
PROHIBITION
Bills TO Complicate Liquor
Question Are Presented by
Representative Ramsey
SHOOTING AT THE STARS
So Says Vickerman, DRY"
Leader, Who Predicts
Attempt Will Fail

6ills that can have no other eff
feet except to complicate the liquor
question are scheduled for intro
duction in the House possibly this
week and likely by Representative
William T. Ramsey, of Delaware
county The bills provide for the
sale of beer and light wines. The
alcoholic strength of the beer will be
designed at five per cent, which pro-
Nldes considerable "kick" while the
trainers of the wine bill say it will
contain 10 per cent of alcohol, which
would effectually restore the "sing-
ms. feature to that fluid.
what is hard to understand in
connection with the bills is that the
license to sell the beer and light
wines will be given under law
similar to the present Brooks high
incense law. That would be con-
Trajectory to national prohibition
which specifically prohibits the
manufacture and sale of LIQUORS.
row me state could pass a law that
would be contrary to the national
mandate is difficult to see but the
.iquor men say that they will be able
to,,, overcome that feature. They
mysterious things Yet to happen as
Supstantlation for their activity.
Not Intoxicating"
Mr' ramsey says that nothing will
ne done TO throw the privilege to
sell beer and wines wide omen, He
was told that where no right to sell
Hquor was given to designated per-
sons that every person would be SELL
ing II under the law that he hoped
10 see passed. Mr.. Ramsey demur-
red strongly on that and declared
mat only those given the license to
sell would be permitted to do so. He
was then asked how any person
could sell when the nation specif-
cally prohibits that and countered
with the remark that beer and wines
would not be intoxicating. The reve-
nue. service recognizes as intoXicat-
ing any beverage with alcohol in it
ana so the ramitications 6fSthis pro-
posed legislation. from a legal stand
point, begin to appear.
Representative John w. Wicker
man. leader of the dry forces in the
General Assembly. processes not to
take the proposed Ramsey bills seri-
ously. He says that Congress will
pass enforcement acts for national
prohibition and that those acts will
pe the laws under which the several
States Will operate. \ recent COM
'N''SiA CT w tiSlllHS lOu IOF one
halt of one per cent. of alcohol in
beverages seems indicative of one
trend of thought there and that
would be counted to the contemplat-
ed action in Pennsylvania. The anti
Hquor forces claim that if the beer
and wines that could be sold under
the provisions of the proposed bills
are not Intoxicating, as the liquor in
terests claim, that no license is need
n IL
point recurs-why could not every
person, if they so desired, sell these
beers and light wines?
shooting at the Stars
Liquor men are shooting at the
stars said Representative Wicker
man. This proposition is a closed
book and the manufacture and sale
of liquor, from a licensed standpoint,
is doomed. Those who break that
law naturally will have to answer
TO Uncle Sam. Congress will pass
enforcement acts for prohibition in
the near future and those acts will
he the law of the several States. [
DO not see how the liquor men can
hgure where they can adopt laws in
a few states that would be different
from the general law on the subject
adopted for the nation. They ma
turally are looking for a way out of
pioiilolllon Dut the amendment to
the constitution has been effected
by the peoples votes and is the law
of the land effective next January 16.
Wartime prohibition is due to start
July ]. The wiser liquor men know
That IL is almost here because many
OF the breweries are beginning their
plans to turn out other and lawful
products. This agitation to destroy
the effect of prohibition will likely
last for time but it will be without
avail "