The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-04-02
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Vets and Drys to Air Their
Views on Prohibition
in Senate.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD

BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD
VXIHAT is expected to be the most
wv voluminous discussion on a do
nestle issue since the free~silver talk
fest, will be starred in the. United
States senate on Monday, April 5. The
topic is to be modification of the pro-
hibition law and the eighteenth amend
ment, and debate is to continue for
twelve days.
Consequently, the first move in the
struggle for and against reopening the
prohibition question for new congress
sional legislation has been won by the
vets. This victory is in the form Of
compromise agreed upon in order to
allow the vets in the senate and their
followers throughout the land to have
public hearings on bills to modify the
prohibition act and to amend the
eighteenth amendment in return for
their tacit promise not to delay other
matters in the senate by means Of
daily speeches against prohibition.
Under the compromise. they are now
to make their speeches and summon
their witnesses before the senate judi
ciary subcommittee, which will sit for
twelve days in spacious committee
room Of the senate Office building and
publicly hear testimony on the ben.
efits and the perils Of prohibition as
the witnesses may declare they have
found them. s
When this bombardment is con-
cluded the subcommittee will turn over
the bales of testimony to the judiciary
committee for it's guidance in recon-
mending or not recommending to the
senate the passage of one or more of
the five modification bills now before
it. The vets are to be heard first and
will be allowed six days; then the
drys for six days. From all parts of
the United States. and Canada even.
witnesses will be brought
Wayne B. Wheeler, general counsel
for the Anti-Saloon league, will have
charge of operations for the drys. The
field marshals and floor managers of the
vets are to be Senators Edge (Rep., N.
~, Edwards (Dem., N. J.,) and Bruce
(Dem., Md with Senator Reed (Dem,,
MOI directing impromptu operations
which are expected' to provide the
sensations of the campaign.
This official opening Of the subject
will bring the first public hearings
ever granted by congress on proposals
to modify the Volstead act since the
eighteenth amendment was ratified in
1910. The senatorial vets call it
victory. "What We want, and all we
want at this time" Senator Edge said.
sis to get our evidence on the evils
and scandals of prohibition before the
country under authentic auspices.
And we don't think this is an unfair
wish. Sentiment is changing. Failure
of the prohibition law is obvious and
disgraceful. We welcome this chance
merely to be heard"
On the other hand, Senator Walsh
(Dem., Mont.) denounced the propo-
sition as mere wet press agentry,"
and said he had no sympathy with it.
When the subcommittee recommends
tion came before the judiciary COM
mittee Senator Walsh was the only one
against it among the eleven senators
voting,
The five bills on which testimony is
to be heard are one by Senator Bruce,
to permit manufacture, sale and dis
tribution of hard liquor by the govern
ment. and local option in the matter
Of admitting such goods into desig-
mated area one, by Senator Edwards,
to modify the Volstead act to permit
4 per cent beer, and three by Senator
Edge to legalize 2.75 per cent beer.
to permit beverages of "any alcoholic
content not intoxicating in fact" and
to remove restrictions now placed on
the prescription of whisky for
medicinal purposes.
The twelve days granted is not
enough for the prohibition hearings,
according to Senator Edwards, who an
nounced in the senate that he would
introduce a resolution calling for a
full, complete and comprehensive in
vestigation Of ALI phases of the sub
ject by a joint congressional COM
mittee.
In Pennsylvania the contest over the