The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-12-23
CULPRESENTS AGENTS RAID
Says He Always Supported PrOhibi-
ton But Objects to Present Law.


ton But Objects to Present Law.
Severely criticizing the conduct of
Volstead Act enforcement officers who
visited his home located in this county
recently, and later placing him under
arrest alleging that he had in his pos
sion certain connections that would
produce intoxication, Ira Culp, of Dis
trict No. 8, wrote the following letter
to the Baltimore Sun which appeared
Monday in the Letters to the Editor"
column. He said:
To the Editor of The Sun:-Sir:-
Is the Volstead Act to make every
farmer and every other careful house.
holder criminal? And shall they be
subjected to insult, outrage and loss
by ignorant and irresponsible enforce
ment officers? Or is it just as safe
and more profitable to be a moon
sinner as it is to be and other class of
citizen? Are the latter more liable
to outrage and insult that the former
is III DANGER OF arrest
On the 7th of December left home
with some legal papers to be served
on parties in the course of trip Of
several hundred miles. On the 9Th
a body of eight enforcement officers,
under authority of search warrant,
and acting upon the alleged informa-
ton of one who expected to win a
case in court if he could get me to
prison before trial, raided my premi-
ses, hunting through everything high
and low for a still or something con-
tanning more than one-half of one
per cent. of alcohol. After the most
outrageous and insulting conduct to-
ward my wife and daughters, hunt
ing high and low, inside and out, I'M
derneath and on top, smelling jugs
and shoppers, punching where they
couldn't see or each, not a sight or
smell could be found.
1t had been generally known that
each year l had made some excellent
wine, and it was supposed that GER
tainly some would be found that
would win me term in prison. For
tunately, this year l made no wine,
and accidentally lost by the breaking
of the jug what little l had started
for mince pie. This saved me. But
they took revenge for their failure
by destroying several barrels and
| their contents of vinegar more or less
advanced in formation, and only de-
sisted from pouring out a barrel Of
vinegar that was already in table use
| upon the insistent protest of my wife.
What is this but sabotage of the
|. W. W.? Is it any more inspiring?
Are they applying Prussian princi-
pies of government? Have we come
to government by terrorism? For
that is what this is aiming at.
All my life l have been a prohibi-
zionist, though accidentally l was new
err in a position to vote for it when
it was submitted at an election, but I
have thought that the Volstead law
was too drastic ever since its enact
ment. | could not distinguish the diff
| ference between good and bad liquor,
as differentiated by experts in drink.
| never saw a drop of liquor distilled.
l never was in distillery and never
saw still. And yet under this infam-
Gus law | was thus subjected to out
rage and loss at the instance of spite,
hate and greed.
If my experience is the measure of
what the citizenship generally shall
experience, the Volstead law and even
the Eighteenth Amendment will not
last long. 1t almost made me feel like
setting up moonshine still, planting
machine guns and explosives and buy
ing all my children high-power rifles
and resisting prohibition enforcement
to the last life. IRA CULP. >,
Henry, West Va, Dec. Is. ., -