The New York herald., 1922-05-04


my bottle of beer l can go down in the
cellar or l can send the servant afte,
| ii and enjoy il. But the man that has
got 10 work day in and day out OF
cannot afford to buy it by the case. he
has got TO smack his lips when he hears
ii. and / know a good many in this
audience tonight would smack their lips
IL they had nice, cool, refreshing glass
Of"
| He didn't get a chance to tell them
what this refreshing glass might con-
| tain. The groans were too deep and
dismal. The crowds knew what was in
that glass. Then he read Senator
Wadsworth's letter. and far back In the
Garden arose leather lunged individual
who demanded to know what Sena sor
Calder had to say.
ASK him. Brooklyn" came the reply.
And If he doesn't talk like Jimmy
Wadsworth--well. Brooklyn. you know
what to. do with him."
In part the Wadsworth letter read :
Frankly, [ think we made terrible
mistake when We inserted sumptuary
law of this kind in the Constitution OF
the United States. This was a funda-
mental error. Then we made another
mistake when we passed an enforcement
act so severe in its provisions that 1t is
is entirely clear that great masses OF
people are holding this law in dis
respect; violations are going on at
wholesale corruption is spreading
hypocrisy is the order Of the day. 1t
extends into every element Of the popu-
lation: leads to disrespect and, indeed.
contempt for law and the orderly con-
duct of government. Every open eyed
person has seen this regrettable situa-
tion grew up around us. 1t has become
unbearable and menace. 1t Is my sim
cere belief that the whole prohibition
situation should be revised and sane
effort made to place 1t upon respect-
able basis. We should not and we will
not bring back the saloon, but there
must be some way of meeting the wishes
of the people, preserving at the same
time the benefits which will accrue from
the abolition Of the saloon and the evils
which attended it,"
Your organization has my best
wishes for the success of its Efforts
Tells How to Get Beer.
When Mr.. Maxim was introduced the
band was blaring How Dry I Am" 1t
was rather humid in the garden, for the
spirit against prohibition had not dared
frown upon pipes. cigars and cigarettes.
From here and there came demands for
Immediate beer in large and satisfying
quantities. Mr.. Maxim essayed to tell
the crowd how to get 1t. He said in
part:
I'VE now have an army OF prohibi-
ton enforcements agents, prohibition
detectives. bung smellers and cellar
weasels, far larger than any standing
army that this Government ever had
in time of peace. This priesthood Of
prohibition is costing this nation. In
loss of revenue. in cost Of enforcement.
in the added cost Of living at hotels. in
court trials and prosecutions, destruc-
ton and depreciation Of property and
In the diversion Of vast amount Of
labor from useful employment to the
boot-legging industry, the Illicit still
and the home brew. at least $3,000.-
100000 year.
Il am Republican in politics." the
inventor cried. but l am not going to
let that interfere with voting for the
wettest man in New Jersey.
"A vast number of persons when they
cannot get a mild, alcoholic stimulant
will turn to dangerous narcotic drugs.
The annual cost of prohibition is more
than all the other expenses of the Gov
ernment put together, including those of
the army and navy, except during the
world war;
When any law is unpopular-that is
to say, when it violates public opinion
1t cannot be enforced. The law is bound
to be violated by public opinion. The
law goes down and public opinion stays
up The Eighteenth Amendment has
already been repealed. 1t is repealed
by the majority opinion of the American
people; it is repealed by the universal
disobedience and contempt of the people.
and no man made law can ever compel
the obedience of the American people
without commanding their respect"
Mr. Gompers was the first speaker
He said he had visited all of America
and virtually all of Europe and that he
had stumped all the old dry territory
before prohibition was a national law.
what Gompers Has Seen.
$50 I know from my own observa-
tion," he said, "that / have never seen
IN my life more drunken men, and thor
oughly drunken men, than / have seen
in the dry States and dry territory.
There are no greater violators of the
prohibition amendment and the Vostead
act than those who voted for its enact
ment. And il may be of more than
passing interest for you to know that
of the delegation in the House of Rep
resntatives upon the day when the
Eighteenth amendment was up for a
vote. out of the twenty-five Representa-
tives of the city of New York and vicin-
ity, more than twenty l am informed
were absent from their post of duty.
And on the day when the constitu-
tional amendment was voted In the
House of Representatives. one of the
men who voted for its passage was our
dear old friend Uncle Joe Cannon. And
II ever any man held, accused, Uncle Joe
Cannon of being either total abstainer
or prohibitionist I have not yet met
him. On that day a Congressman, a
member of the House who lives not far
from Washington. after having voted
for the constitutional amendment was
carried home in such a state that he was
unfit for publication.
When the Volstead act was under
consideration in the House of Represen-
tatives one of the members who had the
L u