New Britain herald., 1928-02-15

" eAo ao"' VI COuI6es III gen. eral there is no debate possible about this. It is quite true that laws differ in importance and that 1t Is more important that I should obey law against murder than I should obey law forbidding me to walk on the grass. Moreover, a law might be passed which should itself be im- moral. and in 50 extraordinary a contingency conscience itself might dictate disobedience. Most absurd attempts have been made to justi- fy disobedience and even defiance of the liquor laws either on this ground or on the ground that they can nev- CT be enforced. am very glad to restate my own position and say why. in my judgment, the prohibi ton question is the most important one before the public today. and why good citizen is peculiarly bound to obey the law in this matter.
 Briefly. the Prohibition Amend ment and the Volstead Act have been put in the Constitution and the Statute Book by legal methods. Every attempt to budge them in the courts has been proved to be per- fectly futile.
 The adoption of the prohibition policy has been followed by an enormous amount both of good and of evil. l have not time to describe the good results and will only say of the bad that they consist mainly of a vast deal of corruption involv- ing Federal, State and local offi- cials. This corruption is so wide spread and so dangerous that it is hard to think that any man can be such fool as to regard it lightly. Having before them the good and bad outcome, the people have in my judgment definitely decided on this prohibition policy. and, in spite of the strenuous efforts of the liuuor people and the immense amount of money spent in propaganda, every Congress shows more than two- thirds majority in both Houses in favor of it. Any hope of changing the policy is dream and, moreover. no change of the policy. except that of total repeal, would have the slightest effect upon the bootlegging and the corruption connected with it.
 Under these circumstances it is evident that every man who drinks alcoholic liquor of any sort, except the small and rapidly disappearing stock of pre-war liquor, is directly contributing to the corruption fund. wish that at the top of the editor ial page of every newspaper in the country we could put the words. For every dollars worth of liquor which you buy or drink. you are contributing fifty cents to the de- struction of your country through corruption
 "I can See no escape whatever from this logic. One answer to my argument and the only possible one is. You are mistaken. We can con- vince the American people of the;r mistake and can overthrow this pol icy, and our best way to do it is to break down the law by the prac- tices you condemn It is a frightful remedy involving all kinds of dan- ger to the country and uniting many otherwise good citizens with the lowest elements and the.- worst crimes. would not argue with them the danger and disgrace of the reme- dy. would simply ask, How. many elections will satisfy you that your efforts are vain? The noise you are making now you have made before. but you have never budged the dry majority. In the meantime, while waiting to be convinced, you are di- rectly contributing. as have said before, to the destruction of all mor- government and are teaching men so. Your act, your example, your in- fluence are as bad citizenship as it is possible for a man to show
 Sometimes a man justifies him. self on the ground that, whatever his personal liberty. Imagine weigh ing the small amount of personal liberty involved in this matter against the dreadful corruption We are discussing. A man who talks that way is more of fanatic than any long haired Dry who was ever caricatured by the Wet press.
 But the worst man of all is the one who laughs at the subject and treats 1t lightly. A man who laughs at the evasion and defiance of the law and at the corruption that goes with these is capable of considering a widespread epidemic of the bu- bonic plague as a joke"
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