The Indianapolis times., 1927-05-26
WOULD YOU BREAK A LAW TO SAVE A LIFE?
Many Hoosiers Agree
Governor Jackson
Acted Wisely.
Continued From Page u

merclal gam, 1 WOulu favor IL,
Judge Johnson said. But fear the
utilization of whisky for suffering
humanity would not remain the
principal issue. AS long as 1t is a
law to do without whisky, even for
medicinal purposes, I favor rigid
enforcement. The law must be re-
spected."
A visit to four towns, Franklin,
Edinburgh, Greenwood and Column
bus, and talks to representative
citizens showed that the weight of
opinion favored Governor Jackson's
action in using whisky to save his
wife's life in violation of the law, al
though opinion was more divided on
modification Of the Indiana law pro.
posed by Attorney General Gilliom.
Emphatic for Change
DR.. Walter Portteus, Franklin,
secretary of the Johnson County
Medical Association. was emphatic
in his stand for modification of the
law.
Physicians should not be re-
strained in the use of such weapons
as they knew to be effective in the
treatment of disease" DIR. Portteus
declared. why should we not be
allowed to use whisky when IL is
needed, just the same as morphine
or any other drug"
Upholds Governor
az doubt whether any one with
normal affection for a loved men,
Der of his family would have done
differently from the Governor" DIR.
c. Province. Of Franklin, declared.
II know. because again and again l
have had relatives of critically i'll
persons say. is there anything on
earth that can be done? Tell US.
we'll do it.. Before a desperate con-
dition of thought engendered by i'm
pending death. bone dry law will
miserably crumple.'
Both DR.. Province and his brother,
DR.. o. A. Province, told of a case in
Franklin where a woman suffering
from pneumonia was revived and her
life saved by use OF whisky.
E. C. Miller, president Of the
Franklin National Bank. favors mod.
ification of the law, but enforce
ment as long as it remains law"
Ben P. Brown, ex-county auditor
of Johnson County and now engaged
| in real estate and farm loans. said
he was for reasonable modification
of present stringent dry laws. The
most vicious fact now existing about
it is that the law is not balanced in
its application. The rich man does
not obey it,.
THE present law Is a violation OF
the bill of rights" asserted A. ".
Crecraft, editor of the Franklin
Democrat.
AT Columbus, sentiment favored
modification, although conserva.-
tive opinions were not lacking. VIII
liam Irwin, president OF the Irwin
National Bank, would not commit
himself freely. Referring to such an
emergency as had confronted Gov
ernor Jackson, Irwin indicated that
he would not accept a physicians
ultimatum unless his own Judgment
and inclination approved.
I'm afraid I'd be derelict about
ooeying," he smiled. After all.
though, don't people do as they want
to, anyway? Don't they accept the
opinion they wish to accept-do the
tnlng that they want to do?"
Declare Whisky Favored
Most conservative was Charles |
Dehmer, cashier of the First Ma.
tional Bank, who would express no |
opinion of the Jackson case and said |
he was not convinced that phvsi. |
clans believed whisky to be a truly |
curative measure. II understand |
that the American Medical Associ- |
alton has not gone on record as IA |
voring it," he said. incidentally. |
several physicians in the towns Wis
ited stated that the American Medi- |
cal Association is now in session in |
Washington, D. c., and that the con- |
sensus Of expressed opinion at the |
association favored the use of |
whisky in certain diseases.
Although stating that "one might |
be justified in committing homicide |
under extraordinary and terrific |
conditions of stress" Cassius B.
Cooper, mayor of Columbus, declared |
himself in favor of the present law
with no modification. Judge Julian
Sharpnack of the Bartholomew |
County Circuit Court said that, al |
though he would want to abide by |
the judgment of his physician in |
case of acute illness, he did not IA |
vor the public at large having the |
ability to do so. "I was assistant !
chief counsel of the Washington Cd. !
c. prohibition unit. That experience
makes me feel that the modification |
of the bone dry law might lead to
dangerous abuse" he said,
present Law a Menace"
Ralph Spaugh of Columbus, promi- |
nent attorney, said: II certainly |
favor modification. The present law |
has so many teeth it is a menace.
Indiana alone. of the States of the |
Union has such an absurdly string |
ent law. Confronted with Governor
Jackson's situation, would procure
the whisky, If 1 had to beg, borrow
or even steal It,"
I'm pretty sure I'd do just what
Jackson did, If placed under similar
circumstance" asserted C. NJ. Setser.
cashier of the Union Trust Company
of Columbus, although 1 am for
enforcement of the law. When pro-
hibition went into effect, I bought
the gallon of whisky allowed, because
/ thought it valuable for medicinal
purposes. My mother-in-law was
benefited by this commodity when
d.,