The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1921-02-25
IN. Y. BREWERS URGE
PRESSURE ON CONGRESS
Would Have State Legislatures
Petition for Beer and Wine
Measure
WOULD KILL BLIND PIGS
Advance Theory That Beer Sa-
looms Would Utterly Destroy
Illicit Whisky Traffic

Illicit Whisky Traffic =.
The New York Brewers Associa
ton is seemingly as active as it eve
was despite the, fact that Nationa
Prohibition has been in effect NOR,
than a year. Through the attorne,
of this association, William H. Hirst
the brewers make an astounding prop
osition and are evidently determined
to continue the fight for the accept
ance of this proposition by the people
1t is this; I
That the Legislatures of the
states favor more libertal inter
probation of the Prohibition
Amendment and petition Con-
gress to modify the Volstead law.
Then these New York brewers sug
gest the notifications that they desire
TO have. Here they are:
(1) That the term Intoxicating
liquor" defined as liquor contain
ing one-half of per cent or more
of alcohol be defined in a way that
will legalize the manufacture and
sale of light wines and beers.
~ That the definition thus
made by Congress should not in
terferc with the home rule and
police power rights of individual
states to adopt whatever definition
of Intoxicating" they see fit
within their own borders, pro-
vided actual intoxicants are pro-
hibited.
Wouldn't that be fne-for tht
brewerss All they want is that Con
gress legalize the sale of beer anc
that each state be permitted to de
fine Intoxicating liquor in any way il
desires. In short, all these brewers
are asking is that the bars be let dowr
and that they be permitted to manu-
factureand sell beer as in the "good
old days"
Through their attorney they are in.
sisting that Congress incorrectly de.
fined Intoxicating liquor and they de.
mand correct" definition and want
Congress to accept their idea of suci
definition.
Rap Distillers
Mr.. Hirst, speaking for his clients
takes this whack at the whisky men
Common sense points the way
to the remedy and the establish
ment of the nation upon a sober
basis. Let Congress heed the
lessons of the past and grant
what is pressing need in seri-
Gus situation. If the people are
allowed light wines and beer
those who grow fat and insolent
in the illegal traffic of hard and
Intoxicating liquors will lose their
market and their graft.
The record is against Mr.. Hirst
When the brewers in defiance of the
wartime Prohibition Act continued
the manufacture and distribution oil
us per cent beer in New York, Phil
adelphia, Baltimore and other cities
the saloonkeepers who handled this
beer became notorious as distributors
of contraband whisky. In fact, they
set up the defense that no saloon
could be operated on a paying basis
by the sale of beer alone, that drink
ers demanded more of kick than
was contained in this so-called non
intoxicating beer.
The beer saloons of Quebec are
persistent law breakers in that they
are invariably dispensers of prohib-
tied whisky.
The idea that men with an alcoholic
thirst will be satisfied with a so-called
Notwithstanding beer and so-called
light wines is fallacious. The legal
cation of the manufacture and sale OF
beer and wine will never kill the traffic
in illicitly distilled liquors.
AS has been repeatedly stated, the
brewers are the worst offenders OF
the liquor fraternity for they were
the owners of the saloons, the distrib-
titing agencies of AT liquors, and they
were the manipulators of corrupt pol
itics for the liquor interests.
More than 90 per cent of intox;cants
sold and consumed in the United
States under license were malt liquors.
The proposal of the brewers is in
teresting, but there is one serious
difficulty in the way of carrying it out.
1t simply can't be done.
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