The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-13
By ROY A. HAYNES united States Prohibition Commis
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United States Prohibition Commits
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 (This instalment introduces Mr. Haynes criticism of "violators in high places" The topic will be con tlnued tomorrow.)
 Short is the chain that connects the illicit liquor industry with our social and commercial life, and few are it's links. 1 count but three.
 The first of the links is the man who makes the forbidden beverage. The second is the man who distdi- butes it. The third is the man who buys it.
 All are guilty. Indeed, if there be such thing as comparative guilt in the violation of our prohibition daws, count the buyer as more guilty than either the maker or distributor. One scarce expects the gentleman to enact the role of the criminals one hardly looks for soft white hands in the unholy trinity that conspires to set at nought the charter of all our laws and liberties.
 In the past, prohibition enforce ment activities have centered about the maker and the distributor of illicit beverage. As for the future, l see a day not far distant when the buyer will receive attention by the courts of the land comparable with that now given his fellows in mis- deed, the bootlegger, and rum run Ter and the moonshiner.
 A Judges Surprise.
 One federal judge is reported as having said to a grand jury about to undertake the consideration of boot logging cases:
 The man who believes in prohibit tion because it brings profit to his business but who thinks it Is entirely proper for him to repair to the sec ond story of his palace and drink to his hearts content the liquor he has bought at the expense of the laws violation is the man who stirs anar- chistic sentiment in this country.
 Tt is surprising to me how many high-class citizens are doing this very thing, men who are respected in their communities, who are otherwise above reproach, but who go out and buy liquor that has been sold In Vio- lation of the law and think they have 8 perfect right to do it.
 They do not have the right. When they buy liquor somebody else vio- lates the law in order that they may possess it, and to that extent they are aiding in this lawlessnesS, not merely lending their countenance to 1t, but actually are partners in the crimes being committed. It is not mark of good citizenship. That conduct IS the beginning of anarchy, of class privilege and disrespect for law
 Another judge. from the bench, IS quoted as saying:
 Ut is evident that there would be no bootleggers were there no GUS toners. The purchaser is as guilty as the seller, and with him may pc indicted for conspiracy to violate the law, a more serious offense than the violation itself.
 "rhere is but little difference in hiring a man to violate the law and in buying the product after the of fense has been committed. One who commits a crime by proxy is equally guilty with his agent Morally, his guilt is greater because himsell lacking the nerve to do the thing, he has induced another to commit the offense for his benefit"
 Behind the BootIeGgers.
 He who buys illicit liquor pays criminals to do his dirty work; the indictment, harsh though it sounds, stands against every bootlegger patron in the land--or there is no merit in the learned judges charge.
 And the criminals thus paid do other things. in the performance Of their illegal work, than violate our prohibition laws. For instance: In September, 1922, two enforce ment agents were shot and killed by a bootlegger. One of these agents was the father of three children. An other was the father of four. The bootLegger who did the killing was the father of seven.
 Seven children were thus made fla therless by this hired criminal. Seven more were branded as children of a murderer. Can the gentlemen" who patronized this bootlegger and by their patronage made possible his continuation in crime feel that their hands are clean? One of the serious difficulties in connection with prohibition enforce ment work today is the surprising attitude of many persons in official and private life. These men, ad- mittedly of high standing and great influence in their respective social, professional or business spheres men who are not classed as general law violators, but who sanction and participate in the illegal traffic in intoxicating liquor without seeming shock to their consciences. It is difficult to understand how prominent clubmen. business and professional men, and men high in the various walks of public and pri- vate life, can match their violation of this law with their obedience to other laws. This condition is a source of much concern to the friends of all good government. When men of standing and influence