Pueblo chieftain., 1921-08-28
CONGRESS is DRY.
AhO BEER BATTLE
IS OVER METHODS
Legislators Against Strong
Arm Methods Of Secret
Agents
CBY MARK suLL1vAN.)

, Washington, D. c. Aug. 27.-The
feeling that has famed up in Congress
over the amendments to the prohibi.
ton enforcement act is as strong as
any emotion that has blazed in that
body for long time. 1t is not a feel
ing that is unfriendly to prohibition.
If the vets are taking any comfort ou
of it, they are mistaken. The prevail
ing feeling of Congress is as dry u
ever it was.
But on the part of a group of sena-
tors and congressman, which is largo
in numbers and determined in spirit,
there is fierce resentment against
invasions of ancient constitutional
rights, which have been committed
and tolerated in the service of prohibit
tion. For the future. persons engaged
in searching out crimes against pre-
hibition will be compelled to restrict
themselves within the same limitations
that have been imposed by law for
hundreds of years on officials engaGca
in ferreting out murder and other fall
onies.
Most of the prohibitionists realize
things they have practiced during the
last three years. They know 1t WI
no longer be possible to search man
house for liquor. unless they have d
warrant. but they hope to retain fae
right to search automobiles without
warrant.
This determination to get back to
constitutional safeguards for individu-
al rights and liberties goes further
than Congress and further than tue
subject of prohibition enforcement
only There is a widespread feeling
in Washington that during the prev
ious administration the detecting and
other espionage functions of the gov
ernment ran pretty wild. 1t arose out
of the war. and so lons as the war
continued there was some excuse for
it. But there was no excuse for many
of the things that were done in the
name of guarding the public safety.
nor for perpetuating the spirit of "s-
pionage during the two years follow-
ing the end of the war.
There is a disposition on the part -
Congress to inquire whether the enor-
nous expansion of the secret service
work of the government during the
war was not overdone, and whether
some of the individuals and officials
with 1t did not so beyond
favor of restoring constitutional safe
guards is an equally percept.1lc dis
position to get back to a peace basis
as regards free speech. The center
Of this discussion is the continued rc
tention of Eugene Debs in the Atlanta
than two years since he entered the in
stituton. Everything that any obser-
yer can learn Of the spirit of the
Harding administration would point to
early amenesty for Debs.
The chief obstacle is believed to be
the more or less organized opposition
carried on by some of the officials of
the American Legion. How far these
speak for the rank and file
Of the service men cannot well be
bonus bill. and who. because of that
opposition. was threatened by some Of
ficials of the American Legion in that
state. made an investigation and came
to the conclusion that out of 100000
ex-service men In hts state only about
Legion. He further estimated that
out of the 10000 members only about
l 900 attend the meetings or take any
real interest The net of this calcula.
ton was that the really active and
energetic members of the legion do not
ex-service men.
This was the conclusion Of only one
senator. And was based on conditions
in only one state. But 1T had weight
of what to do about the bonus bill
II the opposition of the American
Legion really represents the rank and
file Of tie ex-servioe men. II constitu-
tes a picture of some 1000 900 young
men in their twenties and thirtfcs.
making an organized effort to keep In
Jail a gentle old man of siSty-fivc
Probably many Of those who join in
the effort to prevent amnesty Tor
DebE do not know either the prisoner
or the nature OF the crime for which
he ie suffering punishment. A large
section of the public probably thinks
of Debs as being. roughly. the same
kind of man and guilty of the sa ne
kind of crime as Haywood Of the /.
W. w What league of differenc.
there are between Debs and Haywood
Is too long story to repeat here.
(Copydight 1921. by the New York