Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-12
rDRY LAW FAILURE"
SCORED BY GRAHAM
Prohibition Is Denounced by
Committee Chairman as
Hearings Open.
Continued From First Page.)

Nearly nall OF the auQlenCe was COM
posed of women.
The room had begun to fill early
The chamber was selected because il
is much larger than the regular COM
mittee ROOM
Representative Mary T. Norton
Democratic wet of New Jersey, author
Of one of the pending resolutions, sat in
the front row.
Miss M. Louise Gross, chairman OF
the Woman's Committee for the Repeal
of the Eighteenth Amendment, anc
Mrs. David H. Martin. secretary, both
of New YORK. also were on hand pre-
pared to testify.
Graham was interrupted by a burst
of applause when he said that no Law
can be enforced that is destructive OF
right and individual liberty. He was
loudly applauded as he concluded.
The chairman said that both the
vets and drys would be given equal op-
portunity to present their views. The
hearings, he said, might not accomplish
anything, but they would give an OPP
portunity to the conscientious oppo-
nents of prohibition for a public hear
ing.
The hearings. he added, would be
confined to resolutions for the repeal
of the eighteenth amendment.
He said he had not considered plac-
would run, but that witnesses would be
restricted to the subject at hand, the
resolutions proposing repeal and modi-
fication.
Representative Hickey, Indiana, a Re-
publican member of the committee, in
sisted that a time limit be set.
The purpose, the chairman said, is
to make the hearings educative.
when prohibition was adopted, the
I1oe col
commanded the hosts" he said.
Here the chairman described the
concerted efforts made for prohibition
before it was adopted. There were
mass meetings throughout the country,
he asserted, where the proponents OF
prohibition had their audiences.
Today, however, he continued, 1--WE
are witnessing the tranSgreSSion OF in
dividual rights of conscience and belief.
What opportunity has there been
for the conscientious opponents OF pro-
hibition to be heard?" he asked. These
hearings will opeo the doors to let them
present their sidSr of the question fully"
Death 2olI Is Cited.
Enforcement has left a train of
consequences most deplorable and de-
pressing to every patriot" Graham de-
clared. killings amounting to over
l,0OU nave IeSullSQ Tile 1dSL ~ years
from enforcement.
zone hundred and ffty-one citizens
were killed by prohibition officers and
81 agents killed by citizens. In one
year. there were 1851 arrests for
violations, alleged or real.
During the first year under prohibit
ton there were $4,000 cases instituted,
and during the last fiscal year there
were close to 10000.
Demand for more prisons has been
made and new ones ordered, which. it
is said, will not give relief from over
crowding except for period of years
or possibly 10. Prison population has
jumped 4 per cent per 100000 in the
last five years.
when we add corruption, bribery,
Generalization of the citizenry, dis
respect for law, bootlegging and kindred
offenses, does not such a picture call
for the fair, dispassionate Judgment of
men and women to come together and
reason over what remedy can be de-
vised to abate this sad condition."
Should Congress reject resolution
proposing revision of the Constitution,
Graham added, it then would not be
submitted to the States. In the event
proposing revision of the Constitution?
should be submitted to the States, he
said it could be approved by the State
Legislature or by a convention convened
N each State If so directed by Con-
gress.
Referendum Is Possibility.
1.-THE convention methods, which
would require delegates to be elected
on the issue of amendment, would
furnish the opportunity for a refer
endum, so much desired and asked for"
he said. THAT method of ratification
would furnish the only way a refer
endum can ever be had under the law.
There were widespread requests for
hearings from proponents and the
friends Of the resolutions; hence hear
ing has been ordered. In the existing
state of the public mind hearing upon
the matters could not be denied without
infringing the rights of American citi-
zens TO petition and be heard by the
Congress upon redresSing wrong or
lettering a condition.
This hearing will not interfere with
President Hoover's Crime Commission,
but rather be in aid thereof.
'The eighteenth amendment and the
enforcement law has been tested for
10 years, without satisfactory results.
Enforcement mas left a train of conse-
quences most deplorable and depressing
to every patriot"
OppOScS Saloons
mo one wants the restoration of the
old conditions or the saloon" Graham
continued. I'VE may as well ask, can
not control and regulation of liquor
traffic supply the place of prohibition?
what use OF more laws, drastic and par
taking of the spirit of vengeance, rather
than justice? Natural liberty of the
individual has never been totally sur
rendered to society, but only so much
as is needed to preserve the organized
entity.
Freedom of decision as to what one
may drink, eat or wear Is as funda-
mental as freedom of belief in religion.
Like in the delegation of powers to the
Federal Government by the sovereign
States, all not delegated were reserved.
Individual man has a large reSer-
voir OF powers. Only when ones choice
by overt acts breaks the peace or Injuries
society can the individual decision be
assailed, and then only to punish the
overt acts.
Behold the action of the Canada
provinces, which, after many expert
ments, have finally adopted the So
called Canadian system all except
Prince Edward Island. Only Finland
and the United States stand out as
dry nations. Cannot some system be
devised to control and not prohibit that
VIII 4toSCll lle evils portrayed! Inc
use of wine has been countenanced
throughout the ages. Had God wished
Es-itpmatons he could have changed the
nature of the grapes or destroyed the
human appetite. He wanted character
He wanted the man who met tempta-
tons and conquered.
Wants Relief by Reason.
'Let us reason together, not with
the fanatic, for he is the foe of religious
as well as individual liberty. Not with
him, no, but with broadminded mer
and women of every faith and belief