Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-08
ORGANIZED EFFORT
TO OVERTHROW LAW
Mrs. Victor du Pont Reads Paper
on Prohibition Amendment,
and Forces Opposing 1t.

a markedly interesting feature of the
Current Events Class Of the New Century
Club meeting on Tuesday mornlnp was
paper read 10y Mrs. Victor du Pont, Sr.,
who took for her subject the Prohibition
Amendment Mrs du Pont said, In
part:
when VIC founded our republic on the
principles Of justice and equality when
our Constitution was framed and adopt
cd--whcn we PROMULGATED the Mooroe
doctrine, We did things that had. never
been done before in the history OF any
other country in the world, and they have
not been altogether failures. II has been
the policy of the United States 10 create
prccedcnts, rather than TO follow thos'
of other countries. II has ever hlaSed
path of progress and teiorm Tor other
countries 10 walk in, and national pro
hibition in the United Stats viii be an
epoch in the history of the world.
eve ere today facing a situation that
has never before existed IN the memory OF
those now living, or, as far as have been
able 20 learn, in the history OF the country.
That situation is an organized opposition
TO the enforcement of a legally enacted
amendment 10 the constitution oi the
United States. Liquor and its tributary
interests have risen IN their great power
and might, supported by almost mcx-
haustible financial strength in an endeavor
to overthrow Federal enforcement OF
law of the country.
United in this movement are factions
which, under ordinary conditions, would
logically stand for conf citing interests.
Disregarding the fact that business does
not want liquor back, thst science docs
not want liquor back, that most leading
and Influential physicians do not want
liuuor back, certain elements % society,
Ignoring the marvellous results thai have
already accrued from the-as yet-im-
perfect enforcement of prohibition, are en-
blowing every device that influence and
money can demand in an endeavor 10 dis
credit the government OF the United
states. To them, the rspidly emptving
rails, the depletion In the nightly crowd of
drunks that formerly filled the station
houses of the land, the vacant inebriate
wards in hospitals mean less than the in
dulyence Of appetite The undisputed
statistics are almost beyond belief In
the Philadelphia House OF Correction
there are LOO empty cells-the direct
result of prohibition. In the Philadelphia
Almsho,Ne the alcoholic ward is gone
because there Is almost nobodv 10 60 In II.
Formerly il was nearly always full, hut
now the few cases that come IN are passed
alone 70, the dope ward, and the alcoholic
ward is AvaIlaoie for the treatment Of sick
women and babies. The same conditions
prevail more or less all over the country,
and vet there are those-many of them
persons who are fortunate enough TO
enjoy most OF the blessings Of life health,
wealth, happy homes would rather
that the jails and inebriate warts should
again he crowded 10 overfiowing than
that thty should b deprived of their
VINE at dinner or az their social entertain
menfs
sIn unitv with this better class, in
opposition TO prohibition, are others
decidedly others. Every element OF crime
and vice in the country, without one eX-
ception; every gambler and blackleg;
every pickpocket and thief; every dive
keeper and white SLAYER; every blackmail-
er-and in short, every criminal outside OF
jail. or in, is opposed 10 prohibition and 10
woman suffrage. This statement cannot
be disputed or disproved reflect
upon what such a backing implies.
Prohibition and woman suffrage interfere
with and reduce the profits OF crime-cer-
talnly both OF them may he Justly proud
OF the enemies they have made
'.It Is recognized by those opposed to
prohibition that the ratification OF the
suffrage amendment viii safeguard
probably as nothing else could-the
prohibition amendment. They viii hang
together, and womens votes VIII sound
the death llnell OF any hopes that may now
be entertained for the return Of the sa-
lory, -