The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-04
Johns Hopkins PSychiatriSt
StartIes Committee With
Testimony.
MEMBERS ARE AMAZED
Or. Patton BIandIy Refers to
ProhibitioniStS as
Fanatics
BY PAUL r. MALLON
United Press staff Correspondent

WASHINGTON. March 4. - This
prohibitiVe instinct is the most
serious menace of civilization today.
a Johns Hopkins university psychia-
trist, Dr.. Stewart Patton, told the
house judiciary committee today in
testimony. in which he psyche
analysed dry members of the COM
mittee.
Patton blandly referred to enthu-
Siastic drys as fanatics" and de-
clared that total abstainers many
times have worse secret vices. Cues
toned by astoniShed members of
the committee, he said science
guarantees the authenticity of the
old story that man who does not
drink, smoke, chew or curse must
have some very interesting secret
vices"
Paton's testimony came after
Representative Linthicum Dem,
Md, chairman of the house wet
bloc, had summed up the vets
case at the start of the final day OF
prohibitionist arguments be-
fore the committee, on proposals TO
repeal or modify the dry law.
Linthicum demanded action on
the SABBATH resolution to repeal the
eighteenth amendment, and sug-
gested an amendment whereby the
repeater would be submitted to spe-
cial conventions to be cal d by the
various states for that p, rpose.
Talks in General T ms
Patton took the stand Immediately
after Representative John j. Coch-
ran dem, Miss had made an APP
peal for the Norton resolution. pro-
viding for national referendum on
prohibition. During this psyche
analysis Of members of the pre-
ponderantly dry judiciary commits
tee, the Johns Hopkins scientist en-
gagged only in general terms, and
did not seek to show any particular
vices, secret drinking, or otherwise.
Men and nations have ceased to
talk of sanity and temperance to
such an extent, Patton said. that
if it doesn't change its attitude,
democracy will end in triumphant
mediocrity."
Pointing out that there are more
insane persons in our institutions
than students in our colleges and
universities, he said the prohibition
attitude has encouraged the rebel
lious instincts in men and has not
encouraged their sane instincts.
-@kfr.pzm
have tried the prohibition policy.
autocratic Prussia and soviet
Russia" he said.
1T failed in Prussia" he added.
and 1t will fail in Russia, because
it is the policy Of insanity and in
temperance"
Questioned at Length
The physicians unparalleled
testimony apparently astounded
members of the committee, who
questioned him at length.
I'VE all have criminal and insane
impulses and II we try to give the
public the impression we are all
alike, the psychiatrist knows differ
entity" Patton said.
DO you think there is something
wrong with man because he does
not drink liquor to excess?" asked
Representative Browning dem.
TENN, a dry.
mo, but I can't deal in generali-
ties like that. I can tell you that
about a specific person"
Representative Kitchener (Rep..
Mich.), also dry, asked DR.. Patton
If he thought 81 drinker was a better
life insurance prospect that q to-
tai abstainer.
''I have reason to believe the sta
tistics of DR.. Perlmann are true,
and they tend to show a moderate
drinker has a greater expectancy
of life than total abstainer," he
said.
Liggett AmpIifies Charges
Walter Liggett, magazine writer,
whose charges Of laxity in prohi-
bition enforcement In Kansas
stirred up a hornets nest in the
dry state several weeks ago,
reiterated and in some instances
amplified his charges in a letter to
the house committee made public
by Chairman Graham today.
The letter was read as the vets
began their arguments. The writer
sought to answer Attorney-General
Smith of Kansas, who made charges
against him following his testimony
before the committee.
Liggett's letter was read just bore
Representative Linthicum, took the
stand for the summation Of the wet
case.
An elderly gentleman, Norman
Johnston of New York. who de-
scribed himself only as "a citizen"
told the committee today, ''I drink,
always have drung and, please God,
I may always drink.
"On the sideboard in my home
there always has stood. and there
stands today, a bottle of whisky"
he said. at is always there for my
son to take a drink if he wants
one"
He laid the failure Of Alfred e.
Smith to carry New York state In
the 1923 presidential campaign to
the organized bootleg traffic,
which favors wet state and q dry
nation"