Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-17
Prohibition-For the Other Fellow.

Mrs. Mabel Walker Willebrandt, in
her series of articles on the Inside of
Prohibition" has come at last to the
drinking dry" member of Congress;
to the man who votes dry and drinks
wet.
II think" said Mrs. Willebrandt.
that probably nothing has done more
to disgust and alternate honest men and
women who originally favored the pro-
hibition amendment and its strict en-
forcement than the hypocrisy of the
wet-drinking, dry-voting Congressman"
1t seems incredible that any member
of Congress should set himself above
the law, which is made by Congress.
But it is even more incredible that a
member of Congress who has favored
openly and voted for given law should
proceed to violate that law and hold
it lightly. Yet Mrs. Willebrandt has
this to say:
II have not lived in washington all
these years without becoming we'll &C
quainted with the fact that many Rep
resentatives and Senators who vote for
bills designed to aid prohibition en-
forcement are persistent violatorS of
the Volstead law" She might have
added that many Representatives and
Senators who oppose and vote against
dry laws violate the Volstead act also.
While because Of their official positions
the latter group might be expected to
live up to the law, still their violation
of the law does not, at least, bear the
stamp of hypocrisy which rests upon
the drinking dry"
1t will be recalled that during the
last session Of Congress former Senator
Jim" Reed of Missouri. a wet and an
abominator of the Volstead act, an
nounced on the floor of the Senate he
could name a long list of dry-voting,
wet-drinking Senators. There was con-
sternation until Mr.. Reed later de-
clared that he had no intention Of tell
ing names.
The fact that members of Congress
who vote for prohibition laws violate
the laws themselves has been a trench
ant weapon in the hands of the vets
and reproach in the eyes of the pro-
hibitionists themselves. It is impossible
to expect a people to respect a law
which the makers of the law disre-
spect. Yet the Federal Government
is called upon to make the people re-
spect the law. The situation is one
which has led President Hoover to
make strong appeals to all citizens
including Congressmen-to live UP to
the laws of the land. 1t is the re
spectacle" violator Of the prohibition
law who makes enforcement doubly
hard.
This question was recently pro-
pounded: Could a majority be mus
tered in either house Of Congress for a
dry enforcement measure If the votes
were confined to those members who
never take a drink? The very fact
that such a question could be put in
dicates the general impression which
prevails with regard to drinking by
members of Congress. an impression
which will merely gain strength from
the statements made by Mrs. WILLIE
brandt, former Assistant Attorney Cen
eral in charge Of the prosecution Of
dry law violations.
The support of certain dry organiza-
tions. it has been said. has been thrown
to candidates for Congress because they
would vote dry" even though they
violated the dry laws by their personal
habits. To this extent and by winking
at law violations. these organizations
have been responsible in part for the
situation which has arisen