The Washington times., 1924-06-12
BOOTLEG TRADE
At cleveland
THR|VES :
Ray Long Disguised at Open
Law Violation. Threatens
to Bolt. G. Q. P.
BY RAY LONG. ~
Copyright, 1924. by Internstional
News service. Inc.1

Copyright. 1924 BY Interpational
News Service. Inc.l .e,
CLEVELAND, Ohio. June IL
There is only one group of people
in Cleveland that are happy--4he
bootleggers. The hotel men. are
gloomy because there isn't any
chance to stretch this convention out
enough to give them five days Of
opportunity to get back the money
they paid for bringing the conVsn.
ton here. The politicians are uh-
happy because they haven't any.
thing to do. They try to work up
some enthusiasm but it's all phony.
Not SO with the hootleggers. They
are radiantIy happy. They beam.
The porter on the train which
brought o. O.. Mcintyre and myself
out here gave us the name of the
man who he said could supply us
with what Don Marquise calls the
good old pre-war stuff. The taxi
driver who brought us to the hotel
slipped US a card all nicely printed
OF friend of his who specializes In
liquor from Bimini. The bellboy who
brought our grips to the room said
that he had a fine hfe of Ecocth
and could supply 1t at any time. "A
friend Of mine today told me- of a
man at another hotel who has day
and night service and delivers the
liquor by uniformed messengers.
Thriving Business Done
Scotch. by the bottle. costs $40 If
you get 1t at the hotel. There's a
place around the corner, however,
where 1t costs only $12 a bottle.
BY the case. 500. Gin is quoted ct
Sc the bottle.
All the bootleggers are doing a
thriving business. l have seldom
seen so many people who can't carry
their liquor well. You may toss
a coin in any direction in the lobby
Of any Of the hotels and feel absO-
lutely certain. that you will hit
drunk. r..
The irony Of it all. Eleven hum
dred delegates are gathered here for
the purpose Of performing solemn
function in the operation cf the
Government Of this great land Of
ours for the purpose Of renou1inat.
ing the. President of the United
States Of America. There ~ no
Solemnity about it, and the prin-
cipal topic OF discussion in every
group you encounter is violation
OF the law. No wonder foreigners
can't understand us. Contrast this
with a similar situation in London,
for instance. Those Englishmen Go
not pass as many laws as we do,
but those they pass they enforce.
Which reminds me OF good line
friend Of mine used In an after
dinner speech In London last year,
I'm always glad to get back to
England" he said. because over
here the hours Of drinking are regu.
lated, whereas in America, under
prohibition, there is no time of the
day or. night when you aren't meet.
ing invitations to drink" Is.
Sold Own Liquor.
One Of the extraordinary phases
Of the situation here Is the steal
ing Of liquor. There is q protest
because suitcases left in the hotel
rooms are being rifled. The bell
boys steal the liquor from one
room and sell it in another. One
friend Of mine tells me that ne
is positive that he has bought back
two bottles Of his own Scotch.
But the best line Of all was last
delivered to me over the telephone
by a friend OF mine from Wash
ington.
"Come on down to my room.
Ray" he said, 1--WE have struck "a
bonanza. One Of the judges in one
Of the Cleveland courts issuedfsa
decree this morning confiscating.aa
tine supply of whisky. He's bring
ing 1t all over here"
It would be humorous IL IL were
not so seriously sad Goodness
knows that I'm not fanatic on the
subject Of drink. 1 haven't patron.
lied any Of these bootleggers and
| don't intend to. That however.
Is a question of health, not OF
morals. haven't even used the
name and telephone number. that
was presented to me by the score.
tary OF the committee on arrange.
mef1ts.
Nauseated BY immortality. n
AS a matter Of fact, I'm disguised
with the whole business. If this is
what the grand old party meansL.
II this IL the Republican PARTY that
my father believed would prove The
salvation, Of his country-thens I
think its about time. thas we had
new deal. come from a sort
or Republican stock that only
Indiana produces. AS q child:I-I
was not permitted to play with the
children of Democrats. -
I'm not going to vote for Cool.
idge. don't think that I shall
vote for the Democratic nominee.
II La Toilette runs he gets my
vote. Just as q protest. Not as a
protest against the Republican party
or the Democratic party, but as q
protest against this sort Of con.
vention.