The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-11-22
FORCEFUL PLEA
FOR PROHIBITION
BY W. b. WHEELER
Attorney for National Anti-Saloo1
League Addressed Audience in
Barre Last Night.

|
Barre Last Night.
In spite of inclement weather condi-
tions an audience, which nearly filled
the Congregational church at the un-
ion services of all Protestant churches
of Barre at I o'clock last night, took
the opportunity to listen to Wayne B.
Wheeler of Washington, D. c., attor-
ney for the Anti-Saloon league, in a
clear. forceful and interesting address
on Whats Next in the Liquor Fight.
The speaker began by telling of the
MANY and various methods used by
the liquor men in attempts to nullify
the 18th amendment. He spoke of five
large and strong societies with head.
quarters in New York, Boston, Mil
waukee and other American cities, and
of how their list of eleven points was
completely rejected by the supreme
court. They next criticised the con
struction of the law concerning that
portion which allows o person to keep
in his own home for his own use any
liquor which he owned at the time
when the prohibition law went into
effect. This part of the law was draft
ed because the supreme court was at
the time unable to find any course by
which ones property could be eontis-
Gated and destroyed without due rep
aration.
However, the same court maintained
that the transporting of liquor from
one place to another was illegal. An
attempt to convert public sentiment to
their side by the outlay of large
amount of money in order to influence
the decision of the court was made by
the saloon party. The court disregard
ed any sentiment, and after considering
the law and facts of the case once more
supported prohibition,
Next the opposition questioned what
they called the sbsurdity 81 the low.
ness of one. half of one per cent, and
called for referendum in half dozen
states after the soldiers return on a
bill favoring light beers and wines.
The outcome was decided victory for
prohibition. The next attack was on
the personnel of the Congress which
passed the law AT the following cleo
so new sdvocators OF prohibition elect
ed, leaving only 1876 anti ti.prohibitive
members in the house. Then they tried
to prevent ratification of the lstn
amendment by the states without sue
cess.
Now that the Law is in effect, Mr.
Wheeler feels that any state which
does not adopt an enforcement code
not unlike the federal code not only in
jures its own Golfers. but is unfair to
its citizens as WELL In any state
where an enforcement code is not in
effect, fines and forfeited bonds aris-
ing from violation of the prohibition
law 90 to the federal treasury, and
anyone who violates the law is tried
by the federal courts and must await
trial in a federal jail if he has not
the required sum of money for bond. In
the case of an innocent man, the speak
er said, he is Aoften taken to a place of
detention far away from his friends,
and must await an opportunity TO
prove his innocence much longer than
il he were to be tried in court OF the
state He told how the liquor deal
ers are bribing officials, of how they
are forging permits, and of the liquor |
in bond which they are stealing He |
told of the work which prohibition |
men are carrying on to prevent such |
svasions. Other countries viii act ac-
,ording to the success of the measure |
81 the United States. The liquor traf-
&c has been Transporting intoxicating
beverages to foreign countries in many
,sses bringing failure to the millions
If our money invested in missionaries.
Mr.. Wheeler's co-workers have dis
covered evidence through letters of liq-
ior men themselves of how they in
luenced politics and policies through
'ontrol of some newspapers and the
ecret ownership of Others which were
to have no affiliation TO ei-
her side.
The speaker concluded with the
statement that the success so far won
" the anti-saloon party was due to an
of many Who felt the
moral righteousness of the cause. He
Irged all TO rally to the support and
of the law; that il de-
ended a lot on the individual re-
ponse. at the same time citing exam
les of this kind of response. The
pirit of the entire campaign against
quor was reflected in one ef his last
tatements: I'VE must make good; we
an make good; we will make good"
At the end of the talk envelopes
-sre distributed and signed by nearly
veryone present pledging both their
nsncisl and moral support to the !
-ermont Anti-Ssloon league in its ,
tempt at the next legislature to give
'ermont an enforcement code of its
wn, for which Mr.. Wheeler had made ,
is plea. ,