Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-24

we contribute to the solution of the
problem by indulging in wholesale de-
nuncation Of the millions who are re-
sisting the mandate. 1t is perfectly
apparent that they pay no attention
| whatsoever to denunciation. We may
regret such a state of affairs, but
we might as well acknowledge it's ex-
istence.
What is the attitude of the average
man toward it, be he drinker or non
| drlnker, as we use the terms? How
| often and to what extent does the
| average man give his assistance to
| the Government in it's effort to en-
force2 Let us be perfectly candid
about this thing. Let us wipe from
our countenances that smugly virtu
Gus look and eliminate from our con-
| VersatiOn those insincere protestations
| which have become SO characteristic
Of our demeanor and our discussion.
| Let us look the facts straight in the
| face and tell the truth as we see it.
| make bold to make this assertion
! and challange its contradiction.
! Violations Not Reported.
| 'The average man may know that
| his friend and neighbor has purchased
| liquor from a boOtlegger. thus con-
| tributing to the violation of the law.
THE transaction may have occurred
under his very eyes and he may
be present upon subsequent occasions
| when the liquor is consumed in the
home of his friend. And yet that same
average man will not report that
| violation to the authorities. When /
Use the term average man. / include
| men in public life. Yes; 1 include
members of the United States Senate
The country might endure this
| state of affairs if it's effect were felt
| only among those of middle age and
more advanced years. But what will
| become of this country if the youth of
today is to be brought up and trained
FOR the performance of the obligations
| which must come to. it in an atmos-
phere permeated with hypocrisy of
this sort? What sort of a country will
| this be? What sort of a Government
will 1t have? What viii be it's ideals?
What will be the popular conception
of civic obligation, respect for law, re-
| gard for the Constitution, when those
| VINO shall govern 20 or 80 years from
| now shall be those who haves spent
their formative years in such an at
mosphere?
Youth is high-spirited, eager and
adventurous. 1t is energetic, restless,
potentially rebellious. Sometimes it's
| very restleSsness and Righteousness
| ~SAiNA ADNIC AAAlIIiCiiotIy u the progress
of the race, but only when these quail
| tiles are free from contamination by
the baser considerations of inordinate
selfishness, cynicism and hypocrisy.
| Moreover, let no one of us imagine
for moment that youth is not clear
eyed and discerning. We of the elder
generation, in the midst of our faults
and foibles, do not deceive. Youth
perceives. With deadly accuracy it
| Identifies the man who declares in
public his undying devotion to the pro-
hibition law and then turns around
and violates it in private with a cyni-
,al laugh. Youth recognizes the drink
ing dry" The greatest menace in
America today lies in the fact that
| youth, perceiving the habitual attitude
of its elders living a life of pretense
and living it successfully and in secur-
| ity-youth, / say, perceiving this, is
learning to applaud successful hy-
| pocrisy."
Senator Wadsworth's speech led to
half hour of rapid-fire exchanges of
oratory between Senators on both
sides of the question.
In the course of the discussion,
Senator Hef1in, Democrat, of Alabama,
remarked that while addressing an
audience of $500 persons in Baltimore
yesterday he stated that all of the wet
Senators could be put in one taxicab,
4