Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-08

slstencies, and in addition place many
I millions of our citizens for the frs
time in new criminal class?
Millions Violate Law.
You are not permitted under the
| present Volstead act to make or posses.
| beverages containing more than one,
half of / per cent of alcohol but as a
matter of fact tens of millions do make
and do possess these beverages in VIC.
lation of the Volstead act.
! 1t is true that prohibition officer:
have temporarily abandoned the search
of homes and farms for possession Of
! liquor, but this is merely a diplomatic
order and concession to public opinion
But these same prohibition officers
may tomorrow change their policy
They have the power; they alone car
decide whether you are to face punish
ment for possession in your own home
With all these seventies and Pc
culiarities, We are now asked to make
of the purchaser an additional crimi-
nal. I am convinced that this legis-
lation would be a boon to the bootleg
ger. 1t would be his insurance policy
his guarantee of immunity. 1t would
increase his earnings, enlarge his power
in the under world and make more Sc
cure his position before the courts. Con-
victionS would become increasingly diff
ficult. In this new situation, either the
seller or the buyer could claim consti-
tutional immunity from giving testt-
mony that would incriminate him.
How many persons could be persuaded
under any circumstances to testify
against friend? I am not speaking of
a man who is making money out of a
liquor sale, but friend who buys 1t
for his own personal use or to give to
friend. You might be persuaded to
testify against a professional who was
selling for profit, but not against man
who wanted it for his own use or that
Of his friends.
Testify or Commit Perjury.
Yet, II this amendment Is adopted
and you should then be a witness to
such a sale of liquor or have informa-
ton of it, you could be called upon
either to testify or commit perjury.
Three newspaper reporters have been
sent to jail in Washington because they
refused to testify regarding inveSti-
cations of bootlegging made by them.
Every one Is against murder, bur-
glary, theft, arson, kidnapping, forgery
and fraud.
Prohibition enforcement does not
make the same appeal to the public
originated because we tried to impress
the opinion Of a county or a State
upon another county or a State that
had different opinion.
The trouble is fundamental. We are
born with the belief in the right to
control our own local affairs through
our own local officers and by our own
local laws in response to local senti-
ment.
vxy;kI. Att. eo,,4;n,a,,% nv;eEiy,o ord VIC
cannot ignore the fact that it does
exist, there are large sections of our
country and tens of millions OF our
people who are opposed to drastic
sumptuary legislation. Why fool or
deceive ourselves. There is no other
law on the statute books that all are
not willing heartily to support, nor
would there be any hesitancy in CIV.
ing testimony against a violation OF
ferent feeling about the Volstead act.
This new proposal will not intimidate
many, but know that it will tnfur1ate
a very great many.
Create New Class Of Criminals.
When we consider that we are the
only nation in the world that has this
blanket inhibition; that all of our an
cestors were accustomed to the use OF
beverages and that we have already
prohibited the manufacture and sale
and are now asked to create new class
of criminals-thoSe who purchase-We
NAV be sure there will be indignation
deep and strong at the attempt to put
tens of millions of our people In the
felon class with the murderer, the Dur
glar and the horse thief. 1t Is after
all a new experiment. which wise pro-
hibitionists will not term "a NOBLE eX-
pertinent"
It is suggested that provision might
give immunity to the purchaser VINO
testifies, but whether he had immunity
or not, he would, nevertheless, be placed
in the criminal class. It would put MN
in the informer class; 1t would put MIN
in the spy class; it would ruin him IN
the opinion of respectable men and
women if he did testify. Thereby we
would not only create new class, pus
we would also produce new class OF
periurerS. Moreover, we would make u
possible for the bootlegger to blackmall
the purchaser and in that way strength
en- himself and provide greater immu-
nifty.
The spy and the informer have been
despised throughout all history. The
boy or girl who tells tales on playmate
the woman who gossips about her nelgn-
bors and the informer have all been
hated as class by real Americans.
Manufactured in Home.
While formerly liquors were not tax
en- into the home, now in millions, man
facture is carried on in the home IN
the presence of children. Blinds are
drawn and the father and mother are
aiding grapes to ferment into wine ano
helping hops and yeast to ferment nU
! beer Homes which before the VolSteao
act never had liquor in them are no"
! engaged in the making OF liquor,
Men and women are making beer II
| the big cities; farmers and their wives
are making wine in the country-all o.
| them in violation of the VolStead act
| This is breeding general disreSpect fol
! law and law enforcement.
| At this time these violations are
| winked at and disregarded by enforce
ment officers. Accordingly there seem!
| to be an impression that the VolSteae
| act will permit farmer to make wine
on his premises, or the householder II
the big city to make beer. This is
| mistake.
The prohibition of these acts is writ
| ten into the Volstead act. A change Of
opinion on the part Of prohibition Of
flcials may prompt them to make ar
rests and under the recent Jones amend
ment cause the incarceration Of thest
men and women in the penitentiary fol
] five years, and subject them to fine Of
| $4,000.
Who will draw the distinction be-
tween giving awayNa drink and sell
ing a drink? How many spies and med
dlers would charge it was sale when il
was a gift? How many neighborhood
fiiarrnls fpuds and fiofltS Wnllil bs