Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-06
CATHOLIC LAYNAN DEFENDS n
PROHIBITION FOR DRY FOR CES

In making this innovation in Washing
ton society met with the hearty APP
prevail OF President Hoover and of all
others, like himself, who are trying to
inculcate in our people at this time a
more lively sense Of their individual OBJ
legations as American citizens"
She explained that the letter was
drafted after conferences with former
Chief Justice william H. Taft, and at
tributed her campaign to aid in making
dry social affairs popular to his in
fiuence.
Counting the responses" she con-
tinued, II discovered that In what had
been thought to be one of the wettest
Of ell cities. social leaders in great
majority were in favor of aboliShing
the custom OF serving drinks to their
guests. IN disapproval I received 247
replies. and In approval 1887, from
q mailing OF 2,SO0 letters.
Refuses to Divulge Names.
From many States in the Union, and
especially from the large cities, have
received almost continually requests for
a list OF names of those who favored
the proposal embodied in my letter.
These requests have come from promi-
nent newspapers and well known COR
respondents. To all have been con-
strained 70 reply that in order to keep
fa1tn with those responding had never
dlvulgeo their names or the contents
OF their letters Of favor or disfavor. AS
this work goes on in city after city
everybody communicated with is as
SNced OF the same good faith which has
been maintained with the writer's OF
responses from Philadelphia and its
vicinity.
Fortunately the women who COM
pose American society today are for the
most part more keenly conscious Of
their public responsibilities and social
influence. My replies have come from
scores of matrons who entertain extern
sively, as well as from Government Of
ficialS. One matron whose social af-
fairs have always been marked with
the flowing cup gave her first dry
party after she received my letter. She
wrote me that it was a huge success.
DRY entertainments are becoming
more and more fashionable. If parents
make = joke Of prohibition, 30 viii their
children. American mothers feel that
they cannot loiter today in facing their
responsibility. They must 20 forward
with the courage of the convictions.
They feel that parents can do more
by education and example to support
the prohibition laws and the Presidents
efforts than even the law can do. They
know that the youth of today have
wonderful capabilities and that it is
up to their elders to live lives that will
guide these children Alright.
Surely we cannot let our faith fail
US in q time when there Is so much
need for clear, straight thinking. There
seems to be q searching on the part Of
some people for q new false freedom.
Each American citizen must search his
own heart on this matter.
Dollar Mark Is Answer.
why are foreign countries so anxious
to defeat American prohibition9 Why
are they working so Strenuously against
our prohibition lawsp The dollar mark
is the answer. The wine growers Of
European countries have put up ire
mendous sum of money to fight prohi-
bition in our States. They are being
aided and abetted in effect by the in
tereSted pleaderS for personal liberty
OF the type OF Mr.. Atterbury, who main
tains an iron rule of private prohibition
among his employees, and of the type of
Pierre s. du Pont, who is privately q
prohibitionist In his own gun powder
plant and publicly an anti-prohibitionis
for himself and his motor-driving
friends.
"Are we to destroy the ideals of our
country by teaching our children to seek
this new selfish freedom which is denied
to the working classes? This question
may not be looked upoRti lightly, nor
may we expect our children to pay for
after all, the great question Of law
enforcement rests with the people, and
all law enforcement can begin most
effectively in the home. II liquor is
served on the tables of American homes,
and II we mock the prohibition law and
patronize bootleggers, how can we expect
our children to carry on as good citi-
Zens."
Writer Gives Testimony.
C. p. Connolly of East Orange, N. j.,
another witness, said some people In
sisted that prohibition was responsible
for our present lawleSsneSs." But, in
his opinion, there was no more 1awless-
ness, II as much, as In prohibition
days. Discussing conditions he had
found while collecting material for
magazine articles, the witness said: cit
seems almost impossible to enforce the
prohibition law in some sections, par
bACutNAAy IA 1kAy JNEJ VI kAAC country.
He blamed the men who organized
the Association Against the Prohibition
Amendment for melting diSreSpect for
law and added that "the great metro
politan dailies have been dropping pol
son into the breakfast cups all over the
Atlantic seaboard in the form of ridi-
cule Of the law
The witness was called down by
Chairman Graham for suggesting that
the wet witnesses who argued that fur
Their attempts at enforcement would
bring rebellion would have been dealt
with harShly in war time.
Asking that the prohibition law be
made q test of the sovereignty Of the
Government, to "break up once and for
all American lawleSSneSs," Connolly
warned that If the eighteenth amend
ment were repealed, it would open the
way for repeal Of other unpopular
laws"
Moving pictures were held by the wit
ness to be responsible equally with pro-
hibition for Generalization of the
younger generation. He added that
European youth was now Just as wild
as young Americans He claimed, how
ever, that the movement toward prohi-
bition was increasing all over the world.
Connolly read a long list of figures
designed to show that crime had mount
ed steadily in the years Just preceding
enactment Of the prohibition law.