The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1920-06-18
Wet Attorneys Say No Legal Re.
lief; Expected Adverse De-
cision; Dealers Shocked
AID TO ENFORCEMENT
Officers Certain Enforcement Will
Now Be Easier; Purpose
Vigorous Prosecutions

but it really expected the court would
furnish some relief. Although an adj
verse decision was anticipated in
most we'll informed quarters, few had
looked for SO drastic ruling. The
brewers had hoped that each state
might fix its own percentage of alco-
holic content in drinks, and respond
ing to this hope of the brewers the
New York Legislature passed law
permitting the brewing of us per
cent beer. That law is as null and
void now as though it never had been
written on the books.
The New York World, always
looking for a crumb of comfort for
the liquor interests fails to find even
the tiniest morscl in the recent de-
cision. 1t admits that the last hope
is gone, and says that many of the
big legal lights who fought the bat
tie of the vets hold this same view.
These attorneys summed up the en-
tire situation by declaring that all
remedies at law had been exhausted
and the only hope for relief now lies
in Congress itself. 1t was pointed
out that with the state powerless to
fix the quantity of alcohol declared
to be Intoxicating Congress has that
right, and that the only salvation for
the vets is in securing control OF
the national law-making body.
at is all over so far as legal relief
is concerned" said William H. Hirst,
counsel for the New York brewers in
their fight for 2.75 per cent beer.
$50 far as remedies at law are con-
cerned, we are through. There is
nothing for the people to do but
make the best of it. The highest
court in the land has laid down the
law, and the law must be obeyed."
The truth is, even the wet lawyers
were not optimistic that the Supreme
Court would grant any relief. There
was more hope before the decision
dHloHB tiiC ScilSIS VI DCCi anu I'M
:uors than among the lawyers, and in
the camp of the liquor dealers the
shock was greater. Everything had
been planned in the white light dis
trict, and had the decision been theI
reverse of what it was, or had one
ray of hope been held out, there
= would have been a celebration al
most reaching that when the armis-
tice was signed.
open selling of liquor will fade
out very quickly now said one of the
best known restaurant men to a
World reporter. at was all right to
take a chance while the cases were in
court, but now that the. ruling has
been made only a fool will take a
chance of being caught, Personally,
l am through"
This seems to be the opinion of
dozen other men in the same bust
ness who have been selling the stuff
clandestinely. Unless these change
their minds, restaurants will be bone
dry within few days and the trade
will be diverted to speakeasies and
bootleggers.
Some of the old liquor men were
not inclined to give up the fight R.
J. Shafer, President of the New York
State Brewers Association, said that
"The brewers will not be able to
manufacture beer having more than
one-half of | per cent alcohol unless
Congress changes the definition of
Intoxicating liquors, When that will
be done lies wholly in the future. Per-
sonally, I am of the opinion that ex-
perience with the present harsh law
will produce more liberal legislation"
John H. McCooey, Democratic
leader of Kings County, admitted
that the decision ended the legal
phase of the contest, and declared
that nothing now remains but for
the Democratic party to bend every
effort to nullify the Eighteenth
Amendment. He had no doubt but
that wet plank would be introduced
in the platform at San Francisco.
The Association Opposed to Ma
tional Prohibitions gave out a state
ment which says in part, "The de-
cision is the greatest blow to Con-
stitutonal liberty and a republican
form of government that this coun-
try has received in its whole history.
We respect the worldwide reputation
of the Supreme Court, but we are
utterly unable to see by what process
of either reasoning or logic the de-
cision can be reconciled with the best |
traditions of liberty, freedom and
justice laid down in the Constitution
and interpreted in the United States
Supreme Court in its great decision
of the facts"
Brewer Fiegenspan, of Newark,
New Jersey, President of the United