Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-31
SENATORS ATTACK
| DRY ACT V|OLATORS
Hold Legislators Who Break
Laws Should Be Treated
Like Any One Else.

liquor into the United States from for
eign lands viii receive little sympathy
from other members Of Congress, 1t was
indicated here last night, apropos Of
charges which have been made against
Representative Michaelson Of Illinois
and Representative Morgan Of Ohio.
Senator Jones Of Washington, author
OF the Jones law increasing penalties
for liquor law violations at the last SEES
sion OF Congress, said yesterday that
any member Of Congress who violated
the prohibition laws should be treated
just as any other citizen.
II know that 1t has been frequently
said that members Of Congress going
abroad or to the West Indies have
brought quantities Of liquor into this
country since prohibition was enacted"
said Senator Jones.
Says Privileges Should BE Barred.
II have no personal knowledge with
regard to these charges. But no men,
Der OF Congress should be permitted to
violate the law, nor should he be given
special privileges to bring into the coun-
try any liquors or wines. There should
be no special privileges for members Of
Congress, enabling them to dis0bey the
law with impunity.
1T has been q custom TO grant mem
berS Of Congress returning TO the United
States the freedom Of the port where
they land. Well, II this makes 1t easier
for them to violate the law, 1t should
not be accorded. Indeed, have be-
lieyed for some time that some privi-
lodges are extended to members Of Con-
gress to which they are not entitled.
For example, II q Senator or q Rep
resentative desires to sail on an Army
transport, he is ranked as q major gen.
eral or brigadier general and given
quarters according to that rank. The
Army transports are not intended to
carry members of Congress, but for the
use of the Army. II Senators and Rep
resentatives desire to travel on them,
they should be given accommodations
that are left after the Army men, who
must travel on these transports, have
been cared for"
Copeland Has Similar View.
Senator Jones said he knew nothing
about the cases Of Representative Mi
chaelson, who has been indicted for
bringing liquor into Florida some months
ago, and Of Representative Morgan.
who Is chargined by the custom officials
in New York, with bringing four bottles
of liquor into that port In his baggage
when he landed there recently, but he
added that If they had violated the
law they should be treated as other law
violators.
Senator Royal s. Copeland Of New
York, wet" Democrat. took much the
same view Of the matter as did his dry
Republican colleague. Senator Jones.
Il am not in sympathy with the pro-
hibition laws" said Senator Copeland,
but while these laws are on the statute
books they should be enforced. If
members Of Congress violate them, I see
Congress, why they should not pay the
penalty. know nothing about the
charges which have been made against
two members OF the House except what
! have read In the newspapers. But II
the prohibition laws are violated by
members Of Congress, particularly those
who have voted for the Jones law and
other prohibition laws, then they should
be prosecuted.
Believes In Temperance.
II do not believe that prohibition can
be enforced in community in which
the people are opposed to the principle
In my State the sentiment Is over
whelmingly opposed to the dry laws.
do believe In temperance and before ma
tional prohibition was enacted, the
people were becoming more and more
temperate. They were taught to be
temperate in the schools, the churches
and in their homes. When the national
prohibition law was placed on the
statute books, the supporters Of prohibi-
ton wrote OF liquor as though 1t were
q closed issue.
1T is impossible to make people tenn
perate by law, or to make them good by
law. It can only be done by educa-
ton. Horse stealing would be con-
demned as crime II there were no Law
against 1t. But taking q drink or
making liquor, In the absence OF q law
against II. would not be considered q
crime"
Senator Caraway, q dry Democrat
from Arkansas, gave 1t as his opinion
that members of Congress. who repre-
sent not themselves alone, but constitu-
encies Of 300, 900 people or more, should
be particularly careful not to violate
the laws, including the prohibition
laws. F
IF four bottles OF liquor had been
found by customs ofIicials In the bag
gage Of q private citizen" said Senator
Caraway. the matter would have oc-
casioned little publicity. But such q
charge lodged against q member OF
Congress leads to the widest kind OF
publicity, and 1t Is not difilcult to I'M
derstand why 1t should"
Senator Copeland explained that the
freedom Of the port" courtesy which Is
extended to members Of Congress, us
TALLY when they enter the country from
foreign lands. merely gives these mem
bers the right to have their baggage
examined first In order to be passed by
the customs officials without delay.
If this privilege Is used to make II
possible for members Of Congress TO get
liquor through the customs, there may
be serious effort made to have 1t denied,
it, was said.
Jones Sees "Reap' Enforcement.
The indictment Of q member Of the
House for bringing liquor into tins
country and the charge OF q similar Of
fense lodged against another have given
sim further color to the opinion which
has been expressed here in Washington
that there is to be more drastic enforce
nent Of the law than has been the case
at any time since the enactment Of the
prohibition laws. f--.
senator Jones reiterated his opinion
that real effort now Is to be made to
bring about strict enforcement Of the
prohibition laws. He looks, he said, for
an effort to be made particularly In the
District Of Columbia, and he said that
District ofYicials would be held account.
able by Congress If conditions here with
regard to liquor law enforcement are
not improved.