Evening star., 1926-04-22

Office in 1929. and said at the outset
ne called In Mr.. Olson and asked him
TO cooperate with the city. pointing
out that the crushing power of the
Federal courts would be infinitely
greater than the State tribunals
Mayor DeVer testified that Mr..
Olson did not respond as he thought
he ought to. Mayor Dever then
stated that he threatened to lay the
matter before President Coolidge.
After that. he said, Mr.. Olson did
respond.
Mayor Dever also contended that
the Police Department and not the
Federal authority succeeded in clos
ing breweries in Chicago. The mayor
said that one morning he announced
the law would he enforced and that
policemen were actually placed in the
hreweries and that within - hours
they were closed. He said the Fed
eral authorities then had them pad
locked on the evidence furnished by
the Chicago police.
Declares Crime History Long.
DIR. Dinwiddie, first witness before
the committee today, in his direct
statement to the committee said, in
part:
1t is common knowledge by every
student of the history of the temper
ance movement in America that the
liquor traffic. as such, has record
of law violations from its very begin
ming in this country. And now the
friends of this traffic want us to be
lieve that after being beaten in fair
contest. in strict constitutional fashion.
it will obey such laws as the people
may allow ii to dictate.
The American people will fly
squarely in the face of all their past
experience with the liquor traffic If
they trust such proteStations of the de
feated beer interests of our Nation.
mo one will contend that there has
been anything approXimating 100 per
cent enforcement of the law. but ii is
believed that during the past year
there has been decided improvement,
with excellent prospects for still great
er effectiveness as the new orga MIA
ton is developed and men and equip
ment are added in the various units
charged with enforcement. as they
| may be needed. and such strengthen
| ing provisions in the law are enacted
as past experience has justified the
enforcement administration in asking
Recalls Earlier Issues.
'I call no names and impugn no
| motives. l have simply stated gener-
lily accepted facts relative to the
ma jor portions of the old liquor
trade. and recognize also that many
unriSht and we'll meaning citizens.
grea tly deploring serious situations
that exist in some sections today.
seem momentarily to have forgotten
the liquor traffic as we everywhere
knew it through many years, and
havo hailed the beer and wine ten
der of our opponents as panacea
for these present ills.
II call attention. however. to the
situation of the overwhelming ma
jority--if not the entire body--of
those who clamor for weakening
notifications or repeal. They have
lent no aid through all the years
in the effort to solve this important
and difficult problem. Many have
been hostile TO every advance step
proposed in its progress. Many
have encouraged law viola tions and
have fomented opposition to the
policy and the law, and have shown
neither respect for it nor any desire
for its enforcement
"All this sclamor is centered
around demand for beers and
and beers But when it has come to
concreting the propositions practi-
cally all admit that wines as they
were known commercially to users
were of such alcoholic content as to
render them unquestionably obnoX
ious to the eighteenth. anne ndment and
several members Of Congress modi-
fed their proposals in harmony with
this later conviction.
Opposes Referenda.
Prohibition. being the law of the
| land by the overwhelming mandate
of the people under constitutional
processes. is entitled to q fair trial.
| which includes duration of time in
which to operate, the command Of
| ample and efficient personnel and
| equipment, adequate court facilities
and any proper additional legislation
needed to carry the policy into effect.
The proposal to change the, alco-
| holic content provision to read in
| toxicating in fact would Immediately
| tend to break down the law by de-
stroying uniformity of operation
throughout the country and increase
| instead of reduce the difficulties of
| enforcement.
J THE spectacle of defenders Of the
| nquor tramc urging refefenda TO test
| the sense Of the people is a peculiar
| one. They never have favored 1t. in
fact. have fought vigorously with
every weapon at command. every ef.
| fort in the old day to let the people
have a vote on saloons or no saloons.
I'VE have never yet resorted to a
unconstitutional referendum on a
national policy of the Government ex.
cept such as logically and Legitimate.
| ly comes in a representative democ-
racy like ours by the recurrence of
| political campaigns, where political
| party platforms and the attitude of
| Individual candidates for office are
| brought into review for the voters.
"It is small wonder that the op-
| ponents of prohibition do not enjoy
| this character of referenda which,
ever since the adoption of this policy,
has returned an increasing number
of Senators and members Of Congress
| favorable to enforced prohibition, and,
with rare exceptions, State legislators
| of like views.
| I'VE challenge them to seek to Sc.
cure the open championship Of their
cause by any major political party
in this country and then watch the
result"
| U~.~ 80. 49, -~... Ia L~-~~