The New York herald., 1922-02-11
DEMOCRATIC WOMEN
DENOUNCE DRY Law
Miss Elisabeth Marbury
Leads i'll Demand for
L Wines and Beer.
OPINION is UNANIMOUS
One Only at Club Meeting
Refuses to Indorsc Wet
Resolution.
SHE SAYS TT is USELESS
Mrs. George H. Childs Presides
at Meeting Where Members
Tell of Their Thirst.


were at meeting in the Biltmore
Hotel yesterday when the chairman
called for a rising vote of all those in
favor of prohibition. One woman
stood up.
Tho women were memgers of the
Woman's Democratic Club, of which
Mrs. George H.. Childs is president.
The subject of prohibition was in
| jected into the otherwise routine meet
ing by Miss Elisabeth Marbury, the
only woman in this State who is on
the Democratic National Committee.
Her attack on prohibition was received
with loud applause. Her appeal for
! light wines and beers received another
ovation. The women were beginning
to exchange recipes for home brew
when the chairman raped for order.
"Drug Addiction GrowinE."
'The Volstead act is serious and it's
going to take an enormous amount of
pressure If it is ever changed" began
Miss Marbury. Don't be deceived by
the figures the prohbitionists give out
as representing the number who drank
before the war and the number who
drink now. The question is, not how
| many drink now, but is drinking the
| worst sin among us. LIE. US assume
that we have reduced intemperance.
What about drug addiction? 4.*-s
II personally know and nave talked
to welfare workers and others who as
sure me that drug addiction has in
creased since the Volstead act was
passed. These welfare workers were
always hopeful about curing intemper-
ance, but not so hopeful about the ad
diets. 1t Is much easier for girl on
the stage. or any other girl, to acquire
the drug habit than the drink habit
I'VE women would never advocate the
return of the unrestricted corner saloon,
but we have got to- do something. We
know the volstead act is not being OBJ
served, and i thrown down my gauntlet
here and say IT never will be observed
believe firmly that 80 per cent. Of
the we'll to do residents Of this city
break the volstead act continuously.
Why? Because the conscience OF the
average person doesn't rebel at breaking
that law.
''The fact that You can get wines
and whsS;es proves that there is hole
somewhere in the enforcement program
| and that the prohibition law is one that
we feel we can break. ] clamor here
and now for 4 provision that will give
us light wines and beer. The operation
of the law is unjust. We owe it to our
selves and to cur political party to have
| the prohibition law put on a more
| equable basis so that 1t does not protect
some interests and fail to protect others.
(which Is a worse crime. TO knock a
man in the head and take away his
watch or connive with the bootleggers
and fill your cellars with Illicit drinks
It's time for US women to get together
and think OF the serious aspects of this
prohibition condition"
Mrs. Childs rose with gavel in hand
and announced that she thought they
ought to take vote on the question.
II don't think any one takes the law
seriously" she said. How many OF
you are in favor Of prohibition"
Sees No Hope for Change.
One woman in the front row, Mrs.
William NJ. Brann OF New Jersey, rose.
''I don't believe modification of the
volstead act will ever come" said Mrs.
Brann. 'If you put II to vote the pro-
hibitonists will win"
Those are my sentiments" Miss Mar.
bury interjected, with a sad note in her
voice. II suppose 1t would be about
five against one for prohibition"
What about modifying the volstead
act so that we could have light wines
| and beer?" suggested Mrs. Anna Naugh-
ton. Democratic leader of the Fifteenth
Assembly district. Couldn't we have
that as a separate measure and we
women work for it?'',
I'VE can do lot to create sentiment
| in favor of such a measure" vouchsafed
| Mrs. John S. O'Leary. I'm not in favor
| of prohibition. The law will never be
kept Wen have our home brew and
our home wine. But the trouble is we
can't all make It." ..,-
"I never drank anything until prohi-
bition came and since then I've taken
anything I could get" broke in Mrs
Alice G. Kraft. This statement received
applause.
II believe prohibition will be en-.
forced to the utmost and in five years
this country will be absolutely dry
warned Mrs. Brann. But, mind you
I am not for prohibition. I'm not for
the Volstcad act. But I say that II yor
have the law you ought to help enforce
II. I drink as have always done"
Before the meeting ended the ,womer
adapted n resolution favoring the bill re.
Gently introduced in the Legislature
providing for the doubling OF the mum
ber OF the county committeeman. Thi.
has the support OF the Republican
women whose representative introduced
it In the Assembly and the Senate.