New Britain herald., 1924-04-30
DR. BUTLER FLAYS l lSTH AMENDMENT
Urges Its Repeal as a Statute Of
 Hypocrisy

New York, April S0.-Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, president of Columbia university, appealed to men and women of religious faith, Of moral principle and public spirit" 10 strike the eighteenth amendment from the constitution. at the annual dinner of the Missouri society last night. Those, he said, who persist in supporting this "unenforceahle law" must accept re- sponsioility of being silent partners of the bootlegger and contributors to the undermining of the government struc- tGre.
 Senators and representatives in congress- Dr. Butler said, non chalantly vote for prohibitory legis- lation and quickly betake themselves for refreshment to a drink of alco- holic liquor. Judges sentence men to fine and Imprisonment for having been detected in doing what other judges do without detection. When ever you hear a public officer or candidate for elective office cry out with unction for law enforcement, tap him on the hip, such is the pass of hypocrisy, of double-dealing, Of cow ardice, and Of public and private inn morality to which We have been re- duced by the policy of prohibition"
 Slams Anderson's Friends.
 pr. Butler also made an attack on the Anti-Saloon league and on those ministers who expressed sympathy for William H. Anderson, the for mer Anti-Saloon league superintend- ent in this state, who is now in prison for forgery.
 The reason why the prohibition law is not enforced" Dr. Butler con- tinued. lis that it cannot be enforced. The reason why 1t cannot be enforced is that it ought not to have been passed. In its attempted forcible in- reference with the food and drink and medicine of the people, it is a form of oppression to which free people will never submit in silence"
 Reverting to clergymen who ex- pressed sympathy for Anderson, he said:
 Tn what respect do these minis- ters differe from those hysterieal and unbalanced women who shower convicted murderers with flowers and sweetmeats? How dare they stand in a pulpit called Christian and 90 violate both the practice and teachings of Jesus Christ himselt?"
 Parallel With Slavery.
 There is close parallel be- tween slavery and prohibition" he continued. Slavery was not long ago proclaimed as the principal cause of civilization. indeed, as the sole cause. It was defended and extoiied as a divine institution by precisely tine same type Of clerical i mind that defends and extols pro- hibition. Tt ato out the vitals of our ns- ! tion for over a half-century. just as prohibition is doing now. II was in- i in our constitutional sys- tenn. and even as late as 1861, the : attempt was made so 10 amend the that it could never be abolished. Even after Lincoln had . been inaugurated and the civil war had begun. this proposal was ratified by the states of Ohio, Maryland and . Illinois Men and women of the highest intelligence and noble char acter who hated slavery were called upon to accept it and obey the laws based upon 1t because they were the law.
 Will Obey inc law.
 Precisely the same arguments are urged in support of the 18th amendment My own feeling toward is exactly the feeling which my parents and my grandpar- snts had toward slavery. Like Abra- ham Lincoln, l shall obey these laws 10 long as they remain upon the 'tatute book; but. like Abraham Lln- it coln. shall not rest until they are I"