San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-23


ed man who starts out by denouncinS
the men who controlled the liquor
traffic, saying they brought on OK
treme prohibition through their sa =
looms and political methods. He does
not in the least condone the "boOt.
legger,S or other violators OF the law.
He, too, stands for law enforcement.
But while preaching obedience 10
the law, Captain StaytOn sees wide
spread disregard Of the law. He feels
that the laws Of the land are sacred
but when they touch personal liber-
ty, each individual will decide for
himself what he shall do about it.
The result Of such reasoning, answers
Mr.. Wheeler of the Anti-Saloon
League, would be anarchy for IL every
person in society made his own law
the structure of law and order would
collapse.
There's a naive rejoinder, however,
which comes from Captain Stayton
and his associates. 1t is that laws
touching vice as contrasted with laws
touching crime are hard TO enforce
because they are related so closely 10
the individusl-speed laws are vIo-
lated at will and no anarchy results.
Such are the opposing thoughts on
the subject of obeying laws relating
to personal habits. The Anti-Saloon
| League thinks all law stands on the
same footing and should be uniform
ly obeyed: the "wets" argue that hui
man nature will always make a dead
letter of laws which restrict personal
liberty.
Then there's the argument that the
| fifteenth amendment relating 10 ne
gro suffrage isn't obeyed in the South,
| thus affording precedent for dis
obeying the eighteenth amendment TO
the federal constitution in wet"
states.
The Anti-Saloon League leaders
draw n distinction between the fiji
teenth and eighteenth amendments. de.
claring that the amendments which
were imposed after the Civil War
were force amendments" whereas
the eighteenth amendment was rati-
fled by all but two states of the Amer
lean Union. President Harding thinks
the day will come when the fifteenth
amendment will be enforced through
the voluntary action of the southern
states. He believes economic necessi-
ty will compel it.
Captain StaytOn takes an alto
| gether different view He thinks that
/ il an amendment to the constitution
| is bad, it ought to be taken out and
that the attitude of the people to-
ward one amendment hasn't anything
to do with their feeling toward an
other. His organization wants the
| eighteenth amendment repealed but he
| acknowledges that the movement must
| proceed step by step. His first line
of attack is this: the eighteenth
amendment prohibits the manufac-
ture, sale and transportation If lin
toxicating" beverages, hence the Vol
stead act violates the amendment be-
cause il specified Onc-half of one per
cent as the alcoholic content above
which it is illegal to make or sell Il
beverage.
Where Is the Line?
| Where is the line OF dcmarcation!
1t is conceded by both sides that one
half of one per cent is safe, but Cap
tain Stayton points to the wartime
prohibition act which legalized 30
beer and argues that such a beverage
would produce large tax and would
satisfy the clamOr of the people for
good beer Fifty scientists, says
Captain StaytOn, have agreed after
many experiments that the human
stomach can receive two-thirds Of an
ounce of alcohol before making any
man the subject of study for signs of
intoxication.
This. of course, is behemently de-
MED by Mr.. Wheeler of the Anti
Saloon League, who argues that in Mt
least 80 states even before the FEEDER.
nj prohibition amendment was adopted
the law specified .one-half of one per
cent or less as the legal limit of al
cOhol content. Twenty-four states to-
day do not even permit physicians to
prescribe liquor as medicine. So the
states have well-defincd ideas on the
subject which would also have 10 be
changed before the legislative path of
!, those who preach modification would
be made easy.
Out of the As states Of the Union,
80 were dry before the federal amend
ment was adopted. Out Of 3032 cOun-
ties in the United States, 233S were
dry and there were many dry viii
lagos and townships in the remain
ing 604 wet counties. Since SO dry
states have Go representatives in the
United States Senate which is just
two more than the requisite two
thirds, a resolution calling for the re-
peal of the eighteenth amendment
would not at this time have n ghost
of n show. The chances of getting
twO-thirds in the House are similarly
slim because the West and South to-
gether command enough votes to block
action.
Want More Alcohol.
So what is the first step that the
Eeople opposed to extreme prOhibi-
ton will be asked to take? Modifi-
cation of the YOlstcad law to permit
Il higher alcoholic content than one
half of one per cent. A majority
vote Of both houses of Congress is all
that is needed TO change the VOlstead
act Mr.. Wheeler contends that he
could make out good case even
against ? per cent beer and he be-
ltcves the Supreme Court wouldn't
sustain such a modification Of the
Notstc8n act
President Harding is one of the
men who believes per cent beer
would probably not violate the eigh-
tCentI amendment and would furnish
an ercrmous tax revenue but he
docsn think such q propDsuI could
get Through Congress at this time and
he doubts whether it ever will.
Granting, however, that > per cent
beer isn't intoxicating and that II
conforms to the eighteenth amendment
I 4