, 1924-01-30
ANT|.SALOON
LEAGUE HELD
UP TO SC0RN

OeA
ishing and empty flask and assailing
the activities of the Anti Saloon
league and Representative Upshaw,
Democrat, of Georgia, Representative
Sherwood, Democrat, Ohio, SS years
old, veteran of the house of repre-
sentatives, told his colleagues Friday
that "up to 1924, it is generally con-
ceded that the prohibition enforce
ment officers have failed to enforce
the law" and also charged that the
use of narcotics had increased enor-
mously since enactment of the dry
laws.
Declaring that when he was only
IL years old, he had signed a tenn
perance pledge and would "vote for
no law which tolerates intoxicating
liquor as a beverage" he insisted that
prohibition had failed to prohibit al
though it had cost the taxpayers
"over a thousand million dollars in
revenue in the last two years."
attorney General Daugherty con
cedes the failure" he said. "The pres
NoiiNCuCo kliS lOllult W tIlOICt
the law, when he askes for an appro-
priation of S2O,OOO,0O0 by congress
to build a fleet of vessels to enforce
the law on the Atlantic coast only"
He cited figures to show that there
was a mounting consumption of Brit
ish liquors in the United States, plac-
ing the 1928 exports from that coun-
try at 2~5,O00,000 gallons, compared
with 22,000,000 gallons the year pre-
vious.
"Since the passage by congress of
the Volstead act" said Sherwood,
"there has been a large incease in
booze drinking among young men and
young girls. 1t has become a menace
to orderly society. Young men who
have never INDUCED in liquor before
are now carrying TASKS in hip pock-
cts loaded with moonshine or bootleg
whiskey and young girls are induced
to drink the vile stuff in dance halls
and automobile parties along lone
some roads. 1t is a moral menace
now, and it is growing worse"
When the Eighteenth amendment
was pioDoSCu, Nv llCu, lIC III
Saloon League promised that it would
reduce crime to the minimum, would
largely reduce the divorce evil, would
abolish drunkenness, would make for
business prosperity by inducing the
earnings of the industrial classes to
go into homes instead of intoxicants,
and would empty our jails and pen
itentiaries."
cater four years of experience"
he said, 1--WE find that not one single
promise made by the proponents of
prohibition has been kept. Crime has
increased 40 per cent; divorces in
some so cities have increased 35 per
cent; and murders have increased 40
per cent. And worse than all the cal
antilles that have happened since the
Volstead act is the fearful record of
the dope fiends, or narcotic addicts,
now numbering nearly a million vic
tins, as reported by the highest me-
dical experts"
Charging Representative Upshaw
with "skyrocket %oratory," Sherwood
said his Georgia colleague had failed
to point out a single benefit to either
an individual or to the state" because
of prohibition. "This bold attitude
required the gall of a curgmuggeon,
and the audacity of a Chinese bandit"
he declared, characterizing Upshaw
as "the reincarnation of the old Puri-
tans of the Seventeenth century who
hung Quakers in Connecticut and
l...l ...t.Ia. l., ATnErn ahNGntlE "
"If the Anti Saloon league should
induce this congress to amend the
Volstead act by adding the II amend
ments suggested by the gentleman
from Georgia." he added, at would
be the end of personal liberty in the
United States"
The means employed in bringing
about adoption of the Eighteenth
amendment were described by the
Ohio representative as unfair and
disreputable."
Pointing out that Nevada with H.
407 population had an equal voice in
ratifying the amendment with New
York, despite that the latter state had
a population Of 10,3S4,144, he charged
that "the Anti-Saloon league is not
Christian in its methods but It is vim
dictive, vengeful and m~ercenary" and
that "by its drastic methods of try
ing to enforce the Volstead act, has
Matched the biggest crop of lawbreak-
ers that ever afflicted any commun-
ity."
Fifty-threc million dollars was lost
Ia 1000 tbrough alteration of checks.