New-York tribune., 1920-06-30

ance organizations, said the prohibi-
tlonists had been handed a gold brick"
at Chicago, and asked that a plank be
adopted guaranteeing strict enforce
tional Prohibition party. told the COM
mittee that the Democrats could get
the dry votes of the country if it
adopted dry plank.
Bryan then announced that he would
make fight for a dry plank in the
committee itself later and that Wayne
b. Wheeler, general counsel for the
Anti-Saloon League, would close the
arguments for the drys
"Prohibition has now resolved itself
into question Of law and order"
Wheeler said. "The Eighteenth Amend
ment is in the Constitution to stay.
1T takes thirty six states to take it
out 1t is fiXure. and it is going to
be enforced. No party can hold the
confidence Of the people if it takes
stand for the notification of the leris-
lation
Beer Amendment Multiplying
"We insist that beer and wine
amendment to the Volstead act will
nullify the constitutional amendment.
II you put beer and wine amendment
in the enforcement law, it makes en-
forcement Of prohibition impossible in
the states that have prohibition laws
OF their own"
Beer and wine amendments had been
defeated by overwhelming majorities
IN states where an effort had been
made to, return to moist days, said
Wheeler. He declared President Will
son had never taken stand against
prohibition.
Former Representative Bell opened
the tight for the vets He was intro
duced as the presiding officer Of the
Democratic National Convention of
1919, which statement Bryan immedi-
ately resented
Us that the only reason the gentle
man is appearing here ?" Bryan asked.
u represent the grape growers and
vineyard owners of this state" Bell re-
pied. "The drys were wrong in their
assumption that the Eighteenth Amend
ment would remain part of the Consti-
tuition for all time" he said
Ihe American people Will not sub
NIT Tor all time TO the intolerance Of
the Eighteenth Amendment" Bell con-
tlnued. He read from Democratic plat
forms on which Bryan ran for Con-
gress in 1892 and 1894, and for Presi-
dent in 1896. and on which Wilson
ran for President in 1912, to show that
the Democratic party in those years
had favored personal liberty and had
declared against sumptuary laws
81 would like to know if the dis
tinguished gentleman who is leading
the fight for prohibition here approved
those Platforms" Bell asked Bryan.
Does the gentleman want the infor-
nation now?" Bryan asked
"No, ! do not need the Information. +"
Bell replied. Then he read statements
of Bryan approving the platforms. He
declared that if the Democratic party
abandoned the principle of states
rights and did not adopt plank de-
clarirg for the rights of the states to
decide prohibition whichever way they
chose "it will mean the end Of the
Democratic party"
The dry forces. he charged, had car
ried on their fight for prohibition "dis-
honestly "Thev wrote deliberate
| lie into the Volstead enforcement act" J."
Bell continued. "They knew and every
one else knows that one half of per
cent does not constitute intoxicating
beverages"
When he concluded Bryan asked him
whom he represented and the charges
were made that Bryan was in the pay
of the prohbitionists. When order
was restored Harry Ryan, of Cali
fornia. declared that the enforcement
law is q farce.
ut is not being enforced and cannot
be enforced" he said.
Samuel Gompers then told the com
| mittee that the American Federation Of
Labor at its recent Montreal conven-
tion had reaffirued it's declaration Of
1919 against prohibition and in favor
| of beer and wine.
, Cochran then closed the arguments
for the vets. "Any one who takes
the position that this country could
ever again be induced 10 en-
courage or tolerate the existence OF
the saloon is unable to judge public
opinion" Cochran said. "The growth
of prohibition is one of the most re
markable chapters in the history of the
country.
"But when we attempt, through the
Federal government. to say what in
dividuals can do and what they cannot
do we are striking at the foundations
of the government. There is too much
of what the Germans called 'Verboten.
If you prohibit person from doing one
thing, you will prohibit him from doing
another. The enactment Of any kind
OF prohibition means that the America n
! people are not capable Of self-goverr
ment and that they must be driven to
morality.
Held Reflection on People
I That is not the conception on which