New-York tribune., 1920-03-27
Dry Leader
Reviews Fight
In Legislature
Anderson, in Letter to Pas
tors, Charges Brewers
Plot to Unload Stocks of
Beer ssMade in a Gamble"
New Plea to Lawmakers
Denies He Has Impugned
the Honesty of Assembly
or Any of Its Members

IenueHC OF Cne Ant1-SaloOn League, yes
| terday sent "to the pastors who intend
to see it through" letter which if
printed in full would occupy about
eight Tribune columns. 1t reviews the
situation at Albany with reference to
prohibition enforcement legislation, the
hostility of Assemblymen Gillett and
Cuvlllier, sinister lobbying influences"
and the attitude of Speaker Thaddeus
G. Sweet. In part Mr.. Anderson says:
This beer proposition is an assault
morality, an attempt to rob the peo-
Pile Of the victory that has been won.
We happen to know from the inside
OF the liquor camp that if the New
YORK Legislature passes a beer bill
then 1T is the intention of Messrs. Root
and Guthrie to undertake to secure an
injunction against the enforcement of
the Volstead act until the Supreme
Court passes on the Federal enforce
ment law, and in the meantime the
brewers in New York and vicinity will
unload at big profit the enormous
stocks of beer that they manufactured
in their gamble that something could
be done to stop prohibition going into
effect. OF course, in the confusion in
cident to a flood of that kind lot
OF hard liquor would be Sold
Criticizes Speaker Sweet
ut is not the belief of the well-in
formed intelligent brewers that beer
bill will stand the test of the courts,
but the purpose is purely mercenary,
to use the Legislature to make a big
financial killing right now and have
one more grand debauch. 1t is i'm
portant that even this be not permit
ted.
"If the Speaker, instead of having
the Gage bill brought in as a stalking
horse to be passed to satisfy the pro-
hibitionists and to be vetoed by the
Governor to satisfy the "wets," had
gotten behind the Volstead national
enforcement law as adapted to New
York State and put that up to the
Governor in form where he had no
legitimate excuse for vetoing it, then
in the first place it probably would
have been signed by the Governor, and
even If it had not been signed by the
Governor it would have put the Legis-
lature on record before things began
to disintegrate, and before Mr.. Cuvil-
lier of Tammany Hall became for
considerable part of the time and to a
considerable extent the de facto leader
OF the Assembly. Such action by the
Assembly would have precluded any
possibility of the passage of a beer
bill, for the Assembly would have been
on record"
New Letter to Legislators
In new letter to the members of
the Legislature Mr.. Anderson saws:
"rhe majority of the Assembly has
apparently overlooked the fundamental
fact that the Anti-Saloon League now
is fighting against the violation of law
and the active or passive notification
OF the Constitution. Our position is
infinitely stronger than it would be if
we were merely asking the enactment
OF prohibition Al! that is necessary
IS for any member of the Assembly to
read the Constitution of the United
States and use his common sense to
know that the enforcement act passed
by Congress under the prohibition
amendment is the supreme law of the
land
The Socialists are apparently about
to be ousted by the Assembly on the
alleged ground that they stand for
overthrowing the government. The
superintendent of the Anti-Saloon
League is apparently about to be
punished by the Assembly because he
insisted upon the Assembly upholding
the Constitution which is the founda-
ton of the government. The incon-
sistency ought to be obvious to the
wayfaring man, even a pro-beer New
York Assemblymen, if he will stop and
apply his mind to it.
Colonel Gillett openly undertook to
line up the service men as unit
against the enforcement of law and in
favor of notification by the beer and
VINE route, and then and not until then
did the Anti-Saloon League say any
thing during this session about him or
service men, and even then cast no re-
fectlon upon service men in general
or the American Legion, but merely
characterized the individual activity Of
Colonel Gillett and others.
Colonel Gillett at the hearing on
the enforcement bills again became the
aggressor by going out Of his way to
compare the church constituency of
the Anti-Saloon League with the brew
ers as special interests
"Messrs, Cuvillier and Gillett were
soldiers, and so far as we know fought
the Germans bravely. Is it sportsman
like, is 1T courageous, is it soldierike
for these men, having started this dis
turbance and having been the aggres-
sors, now to complain at what was done
to them in self-defense by the repre-
sentative of those whom they were
undertaking to do?
"The Anti-Saloon League has not
impugned the honesty of the Assembly
or any of it's members. 1t has made
no charge of corruption. No amount
of hot air will hide from the public
the basic fact that the Assembly has
sought to punish me because as the
representative of great aw-abiding
section of the public resisted by any
means that were available the break
ing down of the law and the nulliti-
cation of the Federal Constitution"
Backs Up Women's Charges
Mr. Anderson advises the pastor,
to read copy of the report of the
League of Women Voters, which as
sails the Legislature for permitting
questionable lobbying methods against
welfare legislation. In this connection
he says:
"There has been a disposition to
scoff at this report on the ground that
it is overdrawn. | myself am in
possession of facts not contained in
this pamphlet but pertinent thereto
which are sufficient to unmake political
regulations and make the biggest stir
politically the state has seen in long
time. The legislative connections Of
tins lobby are almost too astounding
to believe. We haven't the proof, but
! Of