New Britain herald., 1924-05-08
FIGHT FOR BEER IS
 BITTERLY OPPOSED
lContinued from First Psge)

part responsible. It is now proposed in bills introduced by limited num- Der of representatives. not only to legalize once again the brewing and the sale of that most simplifying and brutalizing beverage, but actually to give a monopoly of the trade in al- coholic beverage to the brewing indus try, which, was scathingly arraigned by the judiciary committee of the senate after special investigation discios- ing its misbehavior, disloyal activities and disreputable associations during and before the war
 A statement prepared for submis- sion to the committee by commit tee appointed by the general confer ence Of the Methodist Episcopal church. in session at Springfield. Mass. was taken 10 the capitol by Bishops Thomas Nicholson of Chicago and Adna ". Leonard, California. Dr. Clarence True Wilson. general secre- tary of the board of temperance, pro- hibition and public morals of the Methodist Episcopal church: Judge Charles A. Pollock, North Dakota. and Walter II. Van Benschoeten, New York.
 This trade, to which it is now pro- posed to grant this monopoly, is the trade which Pittsburgh and Texas grand jurics found had spent hum dreds of thousands of dollars to in- flGcnce elections, had maintained a ipcli;icgl machine operating in alliance with foreign language groups, which systematically sought to corrupt the foreign language vote, the labor vote and the negro vote, and 10 organize the saloon element for political acti- vlties of the most reprehensihle char actcr.
 Tt has been seriously stated in your presence that wine and beer are not intoxicating. Every care of drunk cnness narrated in the history of an- cient times was caused by fermentod liquors. IL was wine which made Noah and Lot drunken. It was wine beer which ended the career of AL cNander the Great in a drunken de- bauch. Tho, drunkenness Of Nero's feasis was caused by wine md beer, not by whisiey. for whissey was not made in that day,
 Prohibition a Blessing
 "rhe prohibition net has been called q failure, but on Inc contrary it has been the miracle and the blessing Of the past decade. The retail liquor bill of this nation prior to prohibition was s.,4SS. S.o00. .O00 annually After the war tho drink bin ir Grfat Britain doubled and there is no reason 10 Goubt but that if We permit the re- tarn of the beer trade the lianor bill
 la America will also double the pre- war bill. Seventy per cent Of that rum would come out of the pockets Of the American workingmen and dl- rectly contribute to the lowering of the standards Of living of labor.
 "The return Of the beer trade would inevitably bring back the saloon. which WIS beer saloon. not whisky saloon, Ninety-two per cent Of all the trade in alcoholic beverages before prohibition was the sale of beer. All of the evils of tho saloon, its brothcl its gambling hells and side entrances for women, introduced by the brewery owned saloon, would thrive just as well if not a drop cf whiskey were sold. Tut the whlskey would be sold. Of course.
 "It has, of course, been alleged that is the beer trade is again permit its products would not be sold in sa- looms. How would it it he dis;ribut- ed? Are VIC 10 permit its sale in soda fountains" gre VIC to permit it 10 in- wade American homes, there 10 reduce to grossness the beauty and grace Of American women and the joyous hope of Ame,ican childhood7
 "If we want the liquor trade back. let us realise that VIC must take with it drunkenness and the other evils Of inc saloon. Let us realize that NC must wipe out Of the economic and sofial benefits of prohibition. Let us realize that VIC are yielding 10 inc petition of groups which have done everything possible to destroy the law by encouraging its violations and who now have effrontery 10 approach con- gress and point 10 the results of their ,fforts as q reason for overthrowing the will Of ihe people,