Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-19
BRUCE RAPS IDAHO
LIQUOR conditions
echoes of Reed-Borah Clash
Over Prohibition Sound
in Senate Chamber
By the Associated Press.

day as Se,p,ltor Bruce. DemocratfMary-
land, descr th ID prohibition conditions in
Borah's StstA of Idaho as shocking
Borah, WHO defended prohibition In
an hours speech yesterday in reply 10
an attack by Reed of Missouri, sat
smilingly silent AS Bruce read news
paper article Ahose headline said
Moonshine." Carh,dian liquor. Bruce
declared. flowed fre,ly into Idaho and
other border States q
That's why so mtR'h liquor Is being
produced in Canada. - he asserted, mot
only to satisfy the nCeds of American
tourists but to supply tive large amounts
that are exported into the Omitted
States"
He praised the quebec liquor system
as one founded ON true Jeffersonian
rprinciples of democracy.
y Dill Says congressman Sober.
As, debate proceeded on the Jones bill
TO increase prohibition violator penal
ties, Senator Dill, Democrat. Washing
ton, commended that the majority OF
members Of Congress are sober me0"
When one is seen intoxicated, he saiS,
it is considered an exception.
"At any rate" he added 1T Is not a
question as to whether a member takes
a drink; il Is whether he carries out the
wishes of the people who send him
here"
Senator Blaine, Republican, Wiscon-
sin. opposed the Jones bill. because. he
said 1t did not discriminate between
gangster bootlegging activities and the
simple violations by individuals.
Those who hoped that the SEVENTEEN
Congress would not end without de-
bate between those two mighty orators.
Reed Of Missouri and Borah of Idaho.
| have had their wish. The two gave the
controversial subject of prohibition an
airing yesterday before a gallery that
| took all the seats and standing room.
and an idea of the renown Of the
speakers could be gained from the fact
fvhat almost the full membership Of the
Nenate heard the clash.
%he anti-climax came after the
speeches had ended. Senator Reed
threatened Saturday to make public
list d. Senators and Representatives
who "vGte dry and drink wet" but yes-/
terday he assured his hearers that he
! was joking. All the members of the
House did, not know of this assurance
and some one last night spread the
news at the Capitol that the names OF
certain REPRESENTATIVES we're on the
list that the Missouri Senator intended
to give out. TheNe were many telephone
| calls and numArr Of hurried visits to
Reeds Office before those concerned
learned that no list was to be issued.
Reed for stSse Control.
Reed retires to privaAe life at the end
of this session, and DUNG nis IL years
| in the Senate the news that he was
| speaking has been sufficient to start
movement toward the SenAe galleries
and to draw absent colleagues to the
floor. Borah's reputation Is no less.
/ Reed is a Democrat and wet. Rorah Is
Republican and dry. Discussion on
the Jones bill to increase penaltieS for
| liquor law violations laid the setting Tor
the clash
Reed argued that control of liquAr
should fall to the States. Borah en-
| tended that prohibition was a part on !
the Constitution and should be observed
Around these central themes the speak
ers brought wit, sarcasm and logic into
play.
The Missourian began by describing
the prohibition laws as "hideous
crime"
Law" he said, has been the instru-
ment Of tyrants and the weapon Of
brutes since time began. BY it despots
| have sought to justify and cloak the
villanies that have stained this earth
with blood and saturated 1t with tears
| and filled it with the groans OF the
| dying.
Law. what sir. is law? 1t is, speak
now of the proper laws. 1t IS something
| that springs from custom and Is ADOPT
| ed by general consent. But 1t must be
more than that; 1t must be founded
upon Justice; 1t must express equity
and right; it must be humane m It's
operations, 1t must be something that
| commends itself to the spirit TO be
| proper law, the soul OF mankind. An
| improper law, an unjust law, cruel
| law must be as much crime as the
act of an individual who asSassinates
in the dark"
Demands Repeal
He declared that the prohibition law
was an unjust law and that there had
followed in its train corruption and de-
basement.
act us repeal this law" he cried,
| land let us then discharge the snoop-
ers and spies, the sneaks and the crimi-
mails who have been employed without
money to haunt our doors. TO break
omen the windows of our habitations. TO
murder our people upon the streets.
Borah, in his reply to Reed. said that
there had been corruption and VIOLA
tons of the law.
IT know that" he declared. II call
the Senator's attention to the fact,
however, that there never has been q
law placed upon the statute books OF
any civilized nation on earth with rel
erence to LIQUOR that the liquor forces
did not undertake to break down. to
violate it, to undermine It,, to corrupt
the officials. 1t is the history OF liquor
! legislation from the beginning until this
hour. 1t Is not within the ingenuity
of the human mind to devtserA liquor
Ia Mt Vufl satisfactory 10 the
liquor interests"
Borah termed those who have adyo-
Gated that it is every MANS T4ght to
observe those laws which he CARES 10
observe as traitors. and hes Sai6nthat
under the system of State c6itfH shat =
the dry States had to manhattan army
Of oficers to protect themSSlQ9s from
liquor from wet States.
Borah Asks Combined ObsefFance. 4
Probably we cannot ever pfsyspt the
use of alcoholic drinks" he Seheluded.
"but shall We continue or shan Ve sur
render in the fight9 So far asALt am
concerned so long as 1t is written In the
Constitution of the United StateS that
the sale of intoxicating liquors - in
furious to the public welfare and That
that embodies the policy Of the people
I propose IN every way that Il fe1$on-
able and fair to undertake in6 bfhin-
tain that Constitution. Let us all COM
bine In that effort.
1.-The Senator from Missouri will never
see the day. will never see thesday
when the eighteenth amendmeAD u out
Of the Constitution Of the UnRedStstes.
In the meantime. using our influence.
our moral leadership, our public. duty
as Senators and citizens, let Us See to
1t that it is enforced in so fap-1sSdt is
possible for human ingenuity fh<dH It,"
Senator Reed was on his feet as Borah
apdad huf Capat0r uafin Of