The Washington herald., 1920-12-14
Open Court
Letters to
TheHerald
Views of Readers on
Matters of National
And Local Import.
CONCERNING PROHIBITION.


To the Editor. he wsshinston Heuh:
Having carefully read over some
Of the excerpts from a recent speech
by Mr.. Kramer, delivered at a
luncheon Of the City Club. which
was published in your paper. /
kindly ask that you grant me
space for a few remarks. In the
nrst place / would like to know
where Mr.. Kramer gets his author
ity for the statement that the ma
3ority Of people have voted for pro-
hibition, when Il is current talk
among the American people that
prohibition was purchased for the
very small sum Of nearly s5o.ooo.o 900
and the majority Of the American
people know Of the source from
whence IL came
Prohibition not being an Issue
when the majority" or thirty-sev-
en- or thirty-eight wise men were
inducted into once, there has been
absolutely no actual vote on prohi-
bition. Nor have the American peo-
pie ever voted that the Ant-Ssloon
League should run the American
government ] also notice that Mr..
Wheeler states that the churches
have stood, and are standing. be-
hind the Anti-Saloon League, a fact
which does not put the church in
a very good light as there never
was a more crooked or dirtier piece
of legislation than that which
brought about this so-czlled pro-
hibition. ] think il the solemn duty
Of the incoming Republican admin
istration to make a thorough inves-
tigation into the activities of these
so-cslled reform leagues and par
ties.
Not one Of those Democratic in
vestigations. with which We are all
so familiar. but one that will give
the American public an insight into
the real underlying agencies that
are such liberal sponsors Of such
noble enterprises.
The voice Of Patrick Henry, Give
me liberty or give me death" has
begun to echo and re-echo through
out this land of ours. and the
American people today are clsmor-
ing for their liberties and privi-
leges that are rightfully theirs, but
had no voice whatsoever in the mat
ter when a mere handful OF narrow
minded. conceited, selfish, money
grating men saw at TO rob them
OF that which every American citi-
zen is entitled-liberty and personal
rights.
To place more pressure upon such
Legislation as the Nolstead measure
would only be making a bad matter
worse The Volstead act is moth
ing more nor less than q breeder OF
crime. There always has been, is
now, and ever will be, a certain
element that has no regard for any
laws, no matter how just those laws
may seem But under the present
legislation, in regard to certain
things, the average citizen, as =
whole, has become q law-breaker
merely because he not only believes.
but knows from a just and consci-
entious standpoint, he is within his
just and legal rights.
No law that trespasses on the in
herent and legal rights Of the peo-
pie can. or ever will. be respected
IL
rupt the Treasury Of the United
States to enforce prohibition among
the liberty-loving American people.
and, in my opinion, the surest and
most speedy means Of obtaining
prohibition would be TO remove the
revenue tax from all distilled spir-
its. wines. malt liquors, and cor
dials.
see the Rev. Mr.. Cpshaw. OF
Georgia. has offered an amendment
to the Bolshevistic code of Volstead,
which already is a disgrace to the
American government. 1t would be
equally as just and reasonable to
enforce the Blue Sunday law on
those who see pleasure in attending
Sunday movies, joy riding, etc. as
it would be to enforce such a dia-
bolical measure as the volstead act
on men and women who find pleas
ure in taking an occasional drink.
What is fair for the goose is also
fair for the gander. am a sick
man, and at times need whisky as
stimulant. i am allowed one pint
every ten days, but am put TO all
Inconvenience, trouble and expense
possible in order to obtain IL, and
then by doing so am violating the
Volstead act.
E. b. HOPKINS.