Evening star., 1926-04-25
Ill other forms of alcoholic stimu-

all other forms Of alcoholic stimu-
! liant.
I'm order to make prohibition more
| effective. Secretary Andrews has pro-
posed a bill which was presented to
the Senate last week by Senator Gon.
Section of that bill reads:
"A search warran nj may he issued.
as provided in the national prohibi-
tion act, to search any private dwell
ing. as such dwelling Is defined in
that act, IL any still or distilling ap'
paratus is used or SET up for use
therein for the unlawful manufacture
| OF intoxicating liquors.
Such law would deprive The peo-
| pie of every right which free men
have fought for since the days Of
Magma Charta. il would he a poor
and bloodless people which would &C
! cept 1t.
Fears Invasion NJ Rights.
This bill would give the prohibition
| unit the power to enter the houses
| Of private citizens, where no evidence
| OF sale is Forthcoming, and search
| them. thus being directly In contra
ventioD Of the fourth amendment TO
| the Constitution. and yet Secretary
| Andrews says that 1t Is not his inten'
ton. nor the intention Of mis- depart
| ment, TO invade the rights OF private
| citizens I asked him for what pur-
pose this section was inserted In the
| act and he said to search only for
the commercial still.
There is hardly one of the prohibi-
tion speakers who does not illuminate
against the liquor interests and
| talk as If the people of the United
States would be contented with absti-
nence If only the liquor interests
would let them alone.
The plain fact is that millions Of
the citizens of these United States.
all over the country, of both sexes
a nd in every walk OF life, intend to
live their own private lives in their
own way, TO eat what they please and
TO drink what they can AFFORD. They
do not intend to be deferred from the
gra tifiCation of these emfnently reason.
able desires because fanat tics rave or
because cowardly legislatures pass
foolish laws.
'"The fact that one OF these la ws ha =
been made a part of the Constitution
of the United States. instead of in.
creasing their respect for the law has,
on the contrary. diminished their re
spect for the Constitution.
Now what is the answer of our
opponents to this indictment?
ITO put it plainly a smoke screen
OF mass opinion to cover the fact that
they have no defense at all.
DO they deny corruption? No.
Charges Wide Corruption.
The prohibition department has
been corrupt from the beginning and
markedly so during the administration
Of Mai Haynes. when appointments
were made at the instigation of the
Antisaloon League and the churches.
The 'drys' now shout for the dis.
missai Of Secretary Andrews, solely
for the reason that he has told the
truth. Both Secretary Andrews and
MIR. Buckner are typical of men who
have tried to do their duty under ex'
tremely difficult circumstances.
What remedies do the 'drys' pro
pose for these appalling conditions?
They talk Of getting public sentiment
behind them, and many preachers have
come here to tell you how the bodies
they represent, usually estimated in
millions, intend 10 mould public opin.
ion, through persuasion. at the same
time as they hold a pistol To the head
Of the country.
Coercion and persuasion have never
gone hand in hand.
When the church cea ses TO persuade
and attempts to coerce. itS power OF
persuasion comes to an end.
Says Benefits Are Claimed.
| These men who have denounced the
United States Government for its
| failure TO effectively enforce prohibit
! ton. and deplore the present condi'
| tions that exist. as the result OF Sich
| failure. claim nevertheless for this law
the most astounding benefits.
That savings bank deposits have
enormously increased in the United
| States.
| enormously in comparison to deposits
before the war.
They claim that children are better
dressed. better fed, and happier.
| Again say. thank God they are. and
| II is because the working classes oi
this country are prosperous ami woi
| is plentiful.
Thev claim hat the jails are empty.
This claim Is false.
Thev claim that drinking has de-
| crea sed Such a claim makes me
blush for their veracitH.
That keeley cures have been
abolished. Not 50 alas,
That saloons have been replaced oS
drug stores. This | admit and Tor the
same purpose"
To the committee Mr.. Goldman de
clared that the argument of the drys
| that Congress could not properly
! modify the prohibition law in view OF
the constitutional amendment, was
entirely wrong.
Insist Congress May Act.
Congress has absolute power to
modify the Volstead act. said Mt
| Goldman, lin regard 10 the alcoholic
| content Of legal beverages. II could
even, in my opinion, make an unres
sonabIe definition Of intoxicating beV
eraSes by increasing the aicohollt
content unduely, though do not
think that Congress would do so, and
still he within its rights. ] believe
| that it could well define intoxicating
] beverages as ardent spirits AS distin
cujshed from wine and beer"
Mr.. Goldman said that in States OF
the South. where the Methodist and
BAPTIST churches, which have beer
| active in the interest of prohibition al
| the hearings. the number OF stills
| seized by the Government had beer
very large, as in the case of Georgia
| 1.O3l stills were seized in 1925. lie
gave the figures for several other
| Southern States and added:
This is a shocking showing fot