The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-05-27
BY Eldora Field

In seven Indiana towns visited, in
north and south directions
In interviews with leading citizens
Of those towns, including bankers
doctors, judges, lawyers, merchants.
thinkings persons of varying pc.
litical and religious persuasion
! found only one man who abso-
lutely, coldly, inexorably condemned
Governor Jacksons recent action of
giving his wife whisky when her
life hung in the balance and physi.
clans said whisky was needed to save
her. and Attorney General Arthur L.
Gilliom's action in urging a change
in the State dry law to permit use
of whisky for medicine.
This man was the mayor Of No
blesville. He is filing the unexpired
term Of another and his future po-
litical life will depend upon his pull
ing votes from whatever stronghold
he thinks they're stored. He claims
to reflect the sentiment OF many
others. yet Julius Joseph. mayor of
Noblesville. alone, Of dozens of think
ing, intelligent. successful persons
interviewed. said:
"I condemn both Jackson and
Killiom. l positively condemn what
they did, what they said and what
they've left unsaid. Even if Jack
sons wfe's life hung in the balance.
l think he should not have done what
he did. l think Gilliom should not
have helped him, no matter what the
circumstance.
His Own Situation
al don't say this without realizing
the situation that confronted Jack
son. My wife has had heart trouble
for five years. In that time she has
again and again been at the point
where some would say whisky would
have saved her life. l never dreamed
of, and would not have given it to
her. no matter what the outcome
and Joseph glanced at a large, I'M
smiling portrait of Calvin Coolidge
which hung on the wall of his shop
Joseph is a tailor.
In the same town two physicians
had just expressed the opinion that
they thought a law which refused a
dying person a saving drug. though
we call it by the name of whisky, is
too stringent and should be modified.
They were DIR. ]. D. Sturdevant and
DR.. S. W. Hook. Here, too. lead
ing merchant, John Sperry. said, ~
don't believe any man with human
feelings would have done differently
from Governor Jackson"
Another Noblesville man. Frank
Head, county highway superinten-
dent. said: Would 1 allow any
thing to stand in the way Of saving
my wife's life. call 1t quinine or
call it whisky? Nc. and ! would
have done the same as jackson did
under like circumstances"
Sees Annoyances
DR.. Hook explained why many
physicians who would like the privi-
lege OF using alcohol in the treat
ment of certain diseases, such as
and typhoid. where it
has undoubted value. yet hesitate to
declare themselves.
1T would make US sort OF licensed
bootleggers. he said. at would
create difficult situations because
pressure would be brought to bear
by II ose who would not need whisky.
In Illinois, where each physician is
forty pints a year for pre-
scription purposes. il is no easy
matter to wisely dispense the whisky
as a drug"
Emphatic for Change
At Kokomo, ]. +. Friedrich. sec
Of the Kokomo Steel
and Wire Company, and State Cham.
Der of Commerce president, was very
emphatic in his opinion that the
dry-bone law of Indiana should be
modified.
I'm the face of progress, we can
not legislate against one science
the medical, any more than we can
against any other science" he said.
I'm the laboratory. we can obtain
needed alcohol. Why should physi.
clans, in the fight for suffering hu.
manity, be denied any weapon that
their judgment dictates?"
"Of course, there wuold be abuse