Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-20
DRY LAWS REPEAL
IS URGED BY LEWIS
Lays Country's Ills to Pro.
hilton in Keynote
Address.

BY the Associated Press.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill, August co.
James Hamilton Lewis, candidate for
United States Senator, delivering the
keynote address before the Democratic
State convention. today urged modifica-
ton or repeal of the Volstead act or
the eighteenth amendment cor any por-
ton of either Of these which cannot
run concurrently with the right and
privilege Of the State"
In his first speech Of any length since
being nominated to run against Ruth
Hanna Mccormick for the Senate,
Lewis blamed prohibition for official
corruption, economic i'll and despair of
farmers. He said the farmer should
again be permitted Ito profit from the
medical and mechanical uses Of the
juice of his grain"
Lewis, a former Senator, summoned
the citizens to bring back this Gov
eminent to its people" and demanded
State free of theft and murder by
national prohibition highwaymen."
Fears Open Rebellion.
For the immediate action of our
countrymen," said Lewis, I'VE call at
tention that in the pursuit of riches In
the maladministration Of the national
prohibition law, the enriched bandits,
who, under the name of law. infest the
Republic, have brought this United
States nearer to open civil riot and
revolution than our country has ever
known since the rebellion under the
alien and sedition laws of President
John Adams.
The new masters now demand the
Subserviency of man and woman, FAM
lily and factory, street and roadside,
home and church-to bow to the de-.
cree Of dictation as to all their business
and commerce, their finances and asri-
culture, their food and drink, schools
and religion"
Blames Dry Law for Mortgages.
The result, Lewis declared, is farms
bending beneath mortgages" 1.-The raw
aging of $900,000,000 of earned money
to pay for tribunals of punishment"
the expense of SIS, 000, 000, 900 each year
to administer the National Government,
to give 1t force and officials to deprive
the States of home rule" and "the
snatching from the States and cities of
$500, 100000 of revenue"
4HS ClIlzenS ne SAID, DenOl0S DuSl-
ness driven to desperation, capital to
terror and sees elected from employ
ment millions and millions of toilers."
He warned that Sin their helplessness
these burdened and abandoned Ameri-
cans become fit for communism and
peril their own land with threats of
danger"
The restoration of the Government
to the foundation laid by the fathers
of the Republic, and the return of the
States to revolve about the axis of the
Constitution afford the only desired re-
lief, he said.
ITO this end there must be-" he said.
"a liberalization, qualification or repeal
of the Volstead act, or of the eight
zenith amendment, or any portion of
either of these which cannot run con-
currently with the right and privilege
of the State, or which stands as an OBJ
struction to this program of a righteous
morality in the government of each
State and home"
Wet Agreement Predicted.
Predictions were current that the
adoption of the platform today would
find Downstate and Cook County Demo-
Gratis agreed on demand for a blanket
repeal of the prohibition amendment
and its supporting legislation.
Sarah Bond Hanley of Monmouth,
a dry" was named permanent chair
man of the Democratic State conven-
ton, which will draft the platform for
Lewis.
Her appointment had the approval
of the Cook County and DoWnstate
delegations, which describe themselves
as "wets."
All-Night Session Fruitless.
HEAn ,I.SIA
subcommittee on wet plank, after an
all-night session, had reached no agree
ment. 1t had under consideration a
plank proposed by Col. Ira l.. Reeves
of Chicago. 1t read
THE events Of the past IL years per-
tanning to prohibition enforcement have
confused the word prohibition with
true temperance. We believe that
temperance is a moral issue and we 60
on record as supporting that issue. We
believe that the several States should
have absolute control, within their re-
spective boundaries, of the manufacture
and sale of alcoholic beverages and
should pass such laws pertaining to
such control as meet with the pop
ular approval of their respective citizen
ship.
I'VE believe the Federal Government
should be concerned only In the matter
OI. TeBuldLlOIl OF Interstate CrdIuc, IN
order to protect States that may desire
to prohibit the manufacture and sale
of alcoholic beverages from liquor i'm
portation.
I'VE recommend the repeal of the
Volstead act and Jones law and the
submission to conventions of the people
Of resolution for the repeal of the
eighteenth amendment We advocate
the passage by the Legislature of the
State of Illinois of laws that will reg
ulate the manufacture and sale of in
toxicating liquors within its borders and
which will prohibit the return of the