New-York tribune., 1920-03-17
Wet and Dry
Bills Divide
Republicans
ceatlnued srom tass on.

,;auals on any beer and wine legisla-
zion They objected to having it ap-
near that they as body would take
.;aes ON any legislation outside of that
.s.eting war veterans. A large ma
;or..v Of them are known to be for the
Gillett bill
me Anti-Saloon League investiga-
.;on ardered by the Assembly is adding
a. rAs confusion in tho Republican
ranks. Both the "wets" and "drys"
row are demanding that the inquiry
ret only will be held, BIZ. that it be a
thorough one. Speaker Sweet had
.sown disposition 10 block it, but
ssssmblyman Louis A. Cuvillier. in
,roducer of the investigation resolu-
,;on SAWS he has served notice on the
sneaker that if he wants votes to oust
tho Socialists he had better not inter-
tore with the Anti-Saloon League in
vsstieation or other liquor questions.
Clash of "Wets" and "Drys"
The clash between the "wet' and
"drv" forces came into the open this
saernoon at the hearing before the
Ssnate Judiciary and Assembly Excise
committees on the two prohibition en-
forcement bills One is the Anti-Sa-
loon League bill. introduced by Sena-
tar Thompson and Assemblyman Slac-
er and Tie other the bill of Senator
MILAN and Assemblyman Bert Gage,
which not only enacts the Volstead law
hn. continues the state Excise Depart
ment as an enforcement bureau. Wayne
B. Wheeler, general counsel for the
Auti-Salcon League, and William D.
Guthrie. representing the United States
Brewers Association, who has been as
sociated with Elihu Root in fighting
tae prohibition amendment before the
United States Supreme Court, were
pitted against each other in the argu-
ment for and against the bills.
After both sides had presented their
cases Assemblyman Gillett. who intro
duced the light wine and beer bill,
asked to be heard in the behal fof "the
ordinary people of the state"
The difficulty has been" said
Colonel Gilett, that only the special
interests have been heard. The
brewers have these highly paid ex-
perts here on tho one side. On the
other side we find the organized Anti
Saloon League, also with their experts,
who are paid about as high as the
brewers experts. Each is trying to
force Its ideas down the throats of the
dear people. 1t is case of about 21a
per cent or the one side and 71a per
cent on the other. Now l want the
big strata of the other 90 per cent of
the people. who are seldom heard here,
to be. taken INTO consideration.
Calls for Voice of People
@They do not want the brewers and
they don't want the Anti-Saloon
League. And l ask you to withhold
your Judgment on this legislation un-
til you se- the ideas Of the big unor-
ganized public, which pays us to come
here and legislate for them"
The Assembly chamber was crowded
with labor men. a big delegation of
brewery workers, and hundreds of un-
organized spectators on the one side
and on the other the representatives
o. churches, reform and civic organ
izations, mostly women.
William D. Guthrie, who opened the
argument for esopposition, said tha,
the sole question to be decided was
whether the state, under the concur
rent jurisdiction provision of the
Eighteenth Amendment, has any voice
whatever in regard to traffic in intoxi-
eating liquors and whether it can chal-
lenge Congress not only in it's prohibi-
tion on intoxicating liquors but also in
Prohibiting concededly non-intoxicat-
ing beverages"
"Obviously" he said. ST it were the
intention Of Congress that it should be
supreme in enforcing this amendme nj
no such wording would have been put
into it as that providing for concurrent
power between the states and the ma
tlon. 1t meant that to the states was
10 be reserved the right to regulate
their own internal affairs. We think
that the United States Supreme Court
Will hold that you have to construe
the amendment reasonably, in the light
Of our dual system of government. The
Federal goyeriiNent has supreme power
IN its sphere, and the states have su-
preme power under their sphere. We
think that the intention Of Congress
was exactly what the language said
that the power shall be concurrent be-
tween the nation and the state"
Mr.. Guthrie held that the states had
the right to regulate their own inter
nal affairs. and that the Volstead act
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