The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-04-23
HIGHEST court
LOBBY EFFORT
LAID TO VETS
Senator Robinson (Ind.)
Cites Letters to Judges
as Evidence.
0U POINT RAPS DRY LAW
Brands Experiment Failure;
Permits Drinking by
Employees.
By United Press

By United Press
WASHINGTON, April 23.-The
prohibition battle was waged on two
fronts at the Capitol today, with
charges and countercharges mark
ing two congressional committee
hearings.
While Pierre S. Du Pont, Della
ware industrial leader and jealous
wet, urged the house judiciary COM
mittee to report a resolution for re-
peal Of the eighteenth amendment,
the senate lobby committee, at the
other end of the Capitol, heard
charges that the Association Against
the Prohibition Amendment has
been lobbying directly with the
supreme court"
The charge against the wet or
ganization was made by Senator
Robinson rep, md who termed
1t "an amazing thing"
The assertion followed reading of
letters from director of the asso-
ciaticn to Justice Stone and the
late Justice Sanford.
Failure Is Charged
Meanwhile, Dupont and others
participating in the vets rebuttal
in the three month prohibition
hearings charged the dry expert
ment had been a failure.
Dupont urged the younger gene
ration which has grown up since
prohibition should be given q chance
10 vote on the dry law.
Wealth and health have not been
bettered by the ten-year experiment,
Dupont said.
Charges made by Robinson were
based on letters written by T. w.
Phillips Jr.. one OF the wet asso-
cations directors.
One letter written to Justice
Stone by Phillips, now wet candi-
date for Governor Of Pennsylvania,
said in part:
our letter of April 5 is greatly
appreciated, and, of course, I had
no thought you would express sn
opinion of any of the questions
raised, but am especially pleased to
learn you regard them as interesting.
Offered New Slant"
an order to give you, perhaps, a
new slant as to how some men are
thinking and talking-a few days
ago in conversation with an ex
ceptionally keen young attorney,
ventured the remark there were
many very serious and far-reaching
constitutional questions relating to
the eighteenth amendment and en-
forcement measures that never had
been submitted to the supreme
court.
His comment took the form Of a
question DO you have any idea that
the supreme court as now conSti-
tuted would have the moral courage
to go into this question thor
oughly?'"
The letter to Sanford said in part:
Last summer, during one of our
brief conversations at Nantucket,
the attitude OF the people toward
our laws was mentioned, and I
handed you a short newspaper
statement in which set forth some
of the causes of crime and init
mated resentment against the I'M
lawfully assumed governmental au-
thority probably would increase.
Il take it, article VIII Of the Con-
stitution contemplates some rela-
tionShip between the gravity and
nature of the offenSe and its pun
ishment, and if so then the Jones
law surely provides excessive fines,
cruel punishmentS' etc"
Plan Further Tests
Other letters. written by Captain
William Stayton, chairman of the
board Of the association, indicated
officers of the organization plan a
further test before the supreme
court of the constitutionality of the
eighteenth amendment.
The death rate, drunkenness, con-
sumption Of beverage alcohol and
crime have increased under prohi-
hition, Dupont told the house COM
nittee.
DO you let men who drink work
Tor you?' asked Representative
Sparkle rep. Kan). a dry. after
Dupont said he did not hire and fire
men because of drinking or abstain
ing.
Eyes. Just so a man Is not in
capacitated by loss of limb, or by
drunkenness, he is allowed to work.
He just must come TO work in the
proper condition.
According to 3 poll took. so
per cent Of my employees have alco-
hol and use it. We have some to-
tai abStainerS. too
Representative Moore (Rep. o.,
q dry, asked Dupont if he stood for
the saloon.
II would prefer it to the speak
easy" Dupont replied.
He said he favored the Swedish
system Of liquor control and did not
favor the return Of the saloon.
Burglars Raid Is RaIked