The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1922-12-21
With 500 Bootleggers at Cap
ital, DryS Plan to Smoke
Out Secret Drinkers.
WANT ALL DRY IN FACT.
Believe Many Who Voted for
Prohibition Have Hidden
Stock of Hooch.
By David Lawrence.
(opeeial Correspondent Of The Eve.
ming Worldly

ming WORLDLY
WASHINGTON, Dec. q tcoDv.
righo.-Representative Upshaw,s
speech calling upon all officials OF
the United States Government, as
well as the Governors Of the several
states OF the Union, to take the dry
oath themselves has tended TO bring
out into the open one Of the most
pSrplexing phases OF the entire Pro
hibition question.
For 1t is an open secret that al
though Prohibition is the law OF tb,
land and the National Capital Is the
centre of law enforcement and respect
Tor the statutes. the use of Nauoru in
private parties attended by officials,
high and low. is not frowned upon.
There Is clash between public duty
and private sentiment
Mr.. upshaw OF Georgia is the firut
70 challenge that attitude Of oficials
which seeks TO impose tho Prohibition
Law in the abstract sense while coun-
tenancing the use of liquor privately.
No intoxicants are served on the tables
OF high officials in any public func-
tions but, as the Washington Post, an
Administration newspaper. said not
long ago. "a census shows there are
about 500 bootleggers In the Distric,
or Columbia and now If we could onIv
have a census Of their private cos.
TONER'S" the fact Of considerable
drinking OF intoxicants could not bs
denied.
But the law doesn't prohibit drink
Ing. Officials who use liquors can
very well say there is no restriction
In the Constitution or the statutes
against the use OF liquors or even
their purchase but simply their man
ufacture and sale. The question
raised by Mr.. Upshaw of Georgia ia
that officials should. however. set an
example and refuse to buy any
liquors. So far as stopping the boo,
Logging trade, tho cutting off OF the
National Capitals supply of lllicitly.
sold liquors would be a mere triie IN
the entire bootlegging trade of the
country.
The theory Of Mr.. Upshaw and the
other drys who do not like to see
Government officials drinking at all
is that they will be better able 10
enforce the law IL they privately be-
llove in it. There vets who
think Just the opposite. namely. that
II Government officials found them
selves absolutely cut off from ALI
liquor supply they would better I'm.
derstand the public sentiment of those
localities where the liquor laws are
openly Haunted by state officials as
well as the most prominent citizens
OF the community.
William Jennings Bryan is one or
tho few who have been in official life
not only to champion the dry cause
publicity but to practice what he
preached. He used 10 keep a book on
hand so that any Of his friends could
sign the dry pledge whenever the i'm.
pulse moved them. II has frequently
been charged that Of the many so
called drys in the House and Senate
who voted fof@the Volstead act as
well as the Eighteenth Amendment
many have kept a private supply of
liquor since in their homes or in their
offices,
one local newspaper not so long ago
won good deal OF ill-will on Capitol
Hil by publishing photographs OF
| empty liquor bottles carried away
from congressional buildings by the
garbage man from time TO time
There are of course hundreds OF en-
! plnvees in the capitol other than
those who have vote and there is
no certainty that any or all the bot
ties came from the legislators them
| selves.
! But the presumption OF Mr.. Up
shaw that officials are not doing all
they might themselves to discourage
OOouSsging in the District of Colum-