The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-09-21
FIGHT. WILL COME
FROM DRY FORCES
ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE TO OP-
POSE SOME CANDIDATES.
Prohibition Commissioner Tells
League That Law Enforcement
Machinery is Not Adequate.

Mach1neEy Is tEoI <1uSS1"eS'
Washington, Sept. 16.-Deciara-
ton was made today by Prohibition
Commissioner Kramer that dry law
enforcement machinery is inadequate.
Coupled with this was a statement by
the Anti-Saloon league that the ma
ton is confronted BY gigantic and
vicious conspiracy t. discredit and Vi
timately overthrow prohibition"
Mr.. Kramer in making his decla-
ration in an address by the Anti
Saloon league conference here an
rounced that in numerous communl-
ties prohibition cases were being
dragged into federal courts at rate
Of ten to 20 week. The result,
! he said, was jan,med dockets and de-
lays in the trial Of dry law viola
tccs.
The Anti-SaIoon league embodies
its conspiracy charges in a resolution
which served notice that it would az
tempt removal of public officials dere-
lict in prohibition enforcement. At
the same time, officials of the league
made pubic partial list Of candi-
dates for congress whom it will seek
to defeat because Of their position
CT prohibition.
| Commissioner Kramer frankly told
he conference that his agency IN adj
Gition to being confronted with
shortage OF personnel had within it
men who were not straight" 1t
would have been miracle" ne
added, if there had not been some
men who had proved to be unfaithfui
! to the oath inasinuch as the dry en-
forcement corps had been built up
! in about SIX morths. [
Fight o. Officials.
While the conference gave Mr..
Kramer's organization a vote Of con-
| fidence and a pledge of support,
speakers asserted this stand would
rot "soften'' condemnation of Of,
ficials of whatever rank who did not
observe the letter of the law in
searching out liquor violators.
The resolution adopted by the con-
ference also called upon congress to.
adopt "some standard for good be-
havior" by defining misconduct" for
! which appointees, such as federal.
! judges, might be removed from office.
The present laws make impeachment
difficult and impractical, the resolu-
tion said, and congress was urged to-
provide methods by which those who
"wink at violation of law may be
dealt with summarily.
The league in its campaign for
continued dry majority in congress
will support Senator Watson, Repub-
lican, against Thomas Taggart, DEM
ocrat, in the Indiana senatorial race,
and Frank B. Willis, Republican can
didate for senator in Ohio. Included
among the present members OF the
house selected by the league as the
obict of it's attack, the list showed
Representative Porter, Pennsylvania,
chairman of the house foreign af-
fairs committee.
List Not Complete.
Wayne B. Wheeler, general coun-
sci for the league, in making public
the list of candidates to be opposed,
told the conference that dry work
ers would not know definitely the
names of all candidates on its "black
! and white lists" until ali primaries
have been held. He explained the
league would enter no local fight ex-
cept where records of the candidates
show the prohibition to be an issue.
Commissioner Kramer, in address
ing the conference, suggested today
the organization of local committee
"of a hundred or more" to be built
I'D a sentiment for perseverance Of
prohibition law.
eve are having hard and uphill
fight" Mr.. Kramer said. "But, on
the whole, it is a winning fight. I
am doing my best to enforce the law
as it was intended to be enforced.
q am not asking for sympathy; l
am not seeking to establish an alibi.
Nor am l trying to pass the buck l
knew this job was a hard one and
would require the utmost that is in
me. l say, therefore, that I want
only your help