New Britain herald., 1926-04-09

uIE leaders 10 join in a rno,.,,,,,, TOT nation wide referondun, oa !lsht wines and beers was tssuad ,3 uay before the senate probihi,ion .ol'inlttee by spokesmen for tl,. american Federation of Labor
 appearing as a witness for ,ty vets ana speaking as personal renre sentative of President William Crl.,, or tAe Federation, William Rohnrts ,oIu the committee that the "presnn, uprising of those opposed 10 the yoI ment." ''N move
 Says brys Are Afraid
 - sincerely believe that those vbo oppose light wines and beers rasIig,t mat referendum would declare in 'aFor or a modification Of tho yo,. stead act he said. "If this Wore ro. true why do they fight referendnT, so strenuo sly" '''''
 The defenders Of the Volstoad sct apparently prefer to see the naon,o or our country seriously affected hv VICIOUS concocitons of Honor r,tror 'ha-, 10 make it temperance conn. try by legalizlns tho manufacture ot mild beers."
 Drys Star Next Week
 MT, Fooeris was the trst witness Tor the vets at the ffthHdav oe ,ha senate hearings. The dNs will ho- Bin the presentation Of tTeir side. of the prohibition picture next u..., Telling of the So,ooo mile trjr tbat '" and the late Samuol Gnm,.rs maHe over the country in 1qo3 ond IH24' the witness said that "evar,,, where there was plenty or dje,i,loI llquor but seldom real hanr"
 Homes Become Brcwcrics
 We found that the homes of ,bs people had been turned into h,,..,. cries and distillerios which ,ur,o,t out dangerous dccoctions that if drunk 10 any extent would ruin th,, health of those ',ho drank thon, " ne continued. When asked why 'hey drank such stuff, they said there was nothing else 10 be obtained. and they invariably asked when unrs members of congress going to real. lze that the manufacture apd sab or peer would make for true tenn perance. Women as well as mon were interested in such questioning.
 AS time passed, the resentment appeared to grow in intensity as We travelled about the country iron, roast 10 coast and from Canada ,o ,he Mexican border. The greates, complaint appeared 10 be that ths people were forced 10 drink all kinds of connections represented to he whiskey
 Press Then Was Silent
 l'ut the resentment did not find much publicity as newspapers can orally supported the Volstead act he cause the dry element spread its propaganda increasingly in every part of the land. The opponents Of inc act, so far as it prohibited the manufacture of beer and light wine were only permitted 10 voice their opposition among their friends and acquatntances,
 Calling attention that after Cov. ernor Smith of New York signed tno bill repeating the state enforcement act he was reelected hy a substantial majority, NIT. Roberts said.
 Endorsement of smith
 That is an evidence of the feel ing among the people of the United States and the recent straw vote talk. en by the newspapcrs simply ert. phasizcs what occurred in New York states. Give the people chance to vote on the issue and there is no donbt Of the result
 "The wage earner as well as th, people generally cannot understand how man can be personally wet and politically dry The straw vote will awaken men to the fact that they have been misinformed as fo the real situation. and that it is no, necessary for them 10 straddie the fence. lt may give them courage to vote their rcal convictions.
 "No doubt this issue will he raIs. d in many congressional districts the outcome Of which will give a better idea of tho sentiment in favor Of a modification of the Volstead act, as the wage earners do not be lieve It is a true interpretation of the eighteenth amendment
 Objectionable Law
 Any law that takes away a right Is highly objectionable to the Amer lean people and fanatical statements so frequently heard and printed in creases the resentment against the Nolstead act and even the eighteenth amndment itself"
 Senator Reed. democrat. Missouri. asked the witness whether the con sumption Of hard liquor and distil- ling in tho homes would decrease if beer were put on salc.
 "I haven't the least doubt Of il, replied Roberts.
 Does the American Federation Of Labor oppose thc eighteenth amendment ." asked senator liar reld, republican, Oklahoma.
 Want 2,5a Beer
 No, it is urging s.75 beer"