Evening star., 1926-04-25
DRY LAW UPHELD AND SCORED
In FINAL HOURS OF HEARING
Wheeler and Goldman Fire Broadsdes at Foes
Arguments-Strengthenin of Volstead Act
Likely to Be Only Recommendation.


Buckner are the ringing decla rations
of the two red.biooded district attor
neys from Cleveland and Chicago
showing that the law can he and Is
being enforced by them. MIR. Buck
ner's plea tor q change in procedure
and the esta baishment Of Federal pO
lice courts as additional aid comes
with poor grace from an officiai who
has not fully used the existing ma
chinerN.'
Mr.. Wheeier suggested that the wife
of a husband who came home drunk
and murdered oae of his childrer
would derive little satisfaction fron
knowing that he had gotten drunk al
a Government dispensary Of liquor.
Hits Vague STANDARD.
If the law should be changed sc
that the definition of intoxicating bev
erage now in the act. containing more
than }. of | per cent of alcohol. were
repealed. Mr.. Wheeler said chaotic
condition would arise, with the courts
unable TO enforce the law. One mar
might get drunk on a beverage which
would not intoxicate another. A po
Iiceman might arrest a man for being
insisted he had a right to sell under
the law.
Mr.. Wheeler said that the left
over alcohol appetite Of old liquor
days" was causing difiicuity in the
enforcement of prohibition.
How can we kill that appetite by
feeding ii more liauor?' asked Mr.
Wheeler. "To do so will merely mul
tiply the problem instead Of solving
il j."
Prohibition has been charged with
bringing about lawIessness, Mr..
Wheeler said. As a mater OF fact
it was born in an atmosphere OF law =
lessness. he said. and all that was
necessary 10 confirm this fact was 10
read the reports of the American Rar
Association made in regard to condi :
tions before the Volstead act became
q law.
If the opponents Of prohibition
would obey the law and help 10 en-
force il. he said, instead OF hringins 3
with seeming pride before the com
mittee every case of law violation.
they would be in a better position IN
make demands for changes in the
law.
Statement by Goldman.
Mr.. Goldman had prepared a state
ment to make TO the committee.
summing up the arguments of the
vets. and this he gave out for publ
cation. although he did not follow il
in his argument. In this statement
Nr. Goldman said that the vets had
successfully established the follow
ing facts:
That since 1920 when the Volstead
a of into nHnrt ArinlSinC q n
drunkenness have increased through
out the whole country in a most ap.
palling manner. The evidence of this
is conclusive as contained in the sur.
Ney of the Moderation League, which
I introduced in evidence, reinforced
by the statistician who compiled II
and the testimony of other witnesses
You have heard evidence, which
cannot be disputed, that women and
children in this country both drink
as never before. Our opponents have
attempted to show that by the pro
duction of this evidence we are max
ing an attack upon the morality OF
our American youth. Such a state
ment is simply malicious. If we have
informat ton which leads us to believe
that the women and children of this
country are subject TO temptation
which is overcoming many OF them
greater than they have ever had be
fore. and should have failed to pre-
sent such evidence TO this committee
we should have been seriously dere
lict in our duty.
The testimony which we have
submitted in regard to drinking j.
sustained by the testimony of one o
our opponents most reliable wit
nesses; DR.. Haven Emerson OF New
York. DR.. Emerson in chart showed
that deaths from alcoholism in New
York have greatly increased since pro
hibition.
Calls Corruption Colossal.
THE evidence shows clearly tha
the character OF the drinking ha.
greatly changed for the worse. AIco
hol in its varied forms of split whisky
split gin and moonShine are nov
drunk by our people in place Of the
beer OF earlier days. 1t was a. reyela
tion to me when Bishop Darlington o.
Pittsburgh seriously testified that
beer drinking was worse for the citi
zen than whisky drinking. OF course
DIR. Darlington is entitled to hold such
an opinion. even II he shares 1t with
no other living man.
We have shown by the evidence
that corruption exists upon scale sc
colossal that IT makes me tremble 70,
the security OF our institutions.
in my opinion. the reasons WHY
conditions such as above described sx
ist In this country is because thu
law has not public sanction and j,
constantly violated without compunc
tion by almost every class in the com
munity.
1T was interesting to note from
Prof. Fishers testimony that amons
the young men at Yale. so per CEN
were opposed to prohibition. 1t /,
doubtless true that some co.educa
tional Western colleges have showr
a preponderanCe Of sentiment thu
other way. | have always maintained
that In localities where the sentiment
OF the people is in favor OF prohibition
prohibition will be accepted and car
be enforced, but where public opinion
is against prohibition, in such com
munities prohibition. as exemplified b,
the Volstead act, can never be en-
forced.
The most important testimony ir
this case was that of Gen Andrews
Here Is one who knows intimately thu
working of the Volstead act since h,
tried hard and honestly to do hi.
outN IN It's enforcement. Until h
took over the enforcement of prohibi
lion, all the evidence goes TO show
that where not utterly corrupt, 1t wa.
at the hest, farcically inefficient.
Says Andrews Favors Beer.
You will recollect that Gen
Andrews stated wherever the diver
sion of industrial alcohol was stopped
that moonshine from the small still.
welled UP to fill the gap, and that h,
not only does not. but cannot ever
attempt to prevent the manufacture,
of alcohol and whisky in the smal
stills in the homes of the people.
And never forget when you arr
considering the evidence before you
that Gen. Andrews, who has more
accurate knowledge than any other
man in this country and WHOSE
practical mind is not clouded with
prejudiceS of any kind. has asserted