Evening star., 1931-12-12
FEARS HYPOCRISY
. RULE IN CONGRESS
Sweeney, in Maiden Speech,
Scores Hoover Policy
Before House.

Expressing fear that he is going to
be mixed up iE a Congress that is going
TO be hypocritical," Representative Mar
tin L. Sweeney, Ohio Democrat en-
bodied in his maiden speech in the
House yesterday a Causttc criticism Of
the Hoover administration for alleged
failure TO offer relief measures.
Sweeney, a former muicipal judge,
also lectured the House on drinking
and its manners.
On his first day in the House, he said
he tried to listen to debate on revision
of the rules
"I found a lot Of chaos" he said. Il
heard Congressman discussing the Jap
anese war. some of them talking about
the presidential campaign. and two
dry Congressman, who vote dry con-
sistently, we're discussing the bad lual-
ity Of Washington liquor.
Refuses to Tell Names.
81 will not tell you their names. I
am not Smedley Butler
MY observation also is that the
women Of this body behave like perfect
gentlemen. while some of the men be-
have like lot Of old women"
Sweeney, an -prohibitiontst, ex-
pressed surprise that President Hoover
did not mention prohibition in his mes
sage and then congra tulated his Repub-
lcan colleague from Ohio, Represent
Rtive Cooper.
He is an ardent dry Sweeney said,
@I pay tribute to his sincerity. He is
not the type of a dry who goes to the
wash room. takes a drink Of liquor and
then comes back on the floor and votes
dry, He is honest. There are a few
Of that type left"
Discusses Wet Issue.
In discussing the prohibition question,
Representative Sweeney said
Il am concerned with the attitude
of the President of the United States
I am surprised that he has made no
mention Of this question Of prohibition,
Perhaps he is of the opinion, as he
always has been, that this is noble
experiment At least he characterizeS
it in this fashion for political reasons.
Now. when we are spending $4,000
600 to enforce a law that cannot be
enforced, and are coming close to a
deficit of s2.000,o00,O00, this great
engineer is silent.
Where is the craftsmanship, where
is the leadership I wonder Wtat Al
Smith, Gov. Roosevelt. Gov. Ritchie
or Newton d, Baker would do under
such circumstances"
Representative SWeeneys principal
argument was for legislation relief of
the unemployed and undernourished.
He said in part:
Il am thinking Of the 100000 men
who are unemployed, the 5000 900 men
who know that the grRnarieS in Wis
consin and Minnesota are choking with
grain, great deal Of it owned by the
Federal Farm Board: and who know
that the cold-storage houses of the land
are ladened with food products, and
who read in the papers that in 1929
Henry Ford made $4,000 600, and who
read in the papers that the estate of
George Baker amounted to $4,000 900,
and who read in the papers that the
estate of Payne Whitney, now being
administered in the Surrogates Court
in New York, amounted to 1925 900 000
Il wonder If these 5000, 900 people
are not sympathizers with the Com
muntst philosophy when they face the
prospect of suffering this Winter.
Urges JobIess Help.
The unemployment problem is
problem of government that the Nation
expects this Congress-the most I'M
portant Congress, think, since the war
Congress-to grapple with, and I am
surprised that the message of the Prcsi-
dent Of the United States is silent on
71f f4nr E-,