Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-24
DRY REFERENDUM
BACKED BY LEGION
Convention Votes 1908 to
394 for Ballot by States
on Question.
Continued From First Page. )

1
speaking in favor of the prohibition
referendum resolution. said:
| while we we're engaged in the mos
deadly and costly conflict of civiliza'
ton; while we were dedicated to the
winning of the war, a frenzied high
| financed group of individuals under
strategic astute leadership caused Il
be enacted the most momentous change
| in constitutional government since the
Constitution was written.
obviously. the eighteenth amend
ment was passed for the primary pur-
pose of eliminating the drunkard over
| the bar, the old-time saloon and al
! of the so-called economic evils ano
social ills attached thereto.
THE eighteenth amendment has
been characterized as an experiment
noble in motive yet 1t has proven tC
thousands upon thousands of American
citizens in all walks Of life to be an
| experience lamentable and loathesome
| in many of its details.
After IS years of prohibition we
| find business men, professional men
| laboring men, men in high counsel OF
| politics, young men. young girls openly
and fiagrantiy violating and defying
this amendment. II not in letter, at
least In spirit. by consuming liquor in
| one form or another, whenever and
wherever they can get it.
See Need for Action.
1--WE are confronted with sawed-off
| shotgunS, machine guns. poison alcohol
gang murders armed automobiles
| high-poWered rifles and stills by the
| thousands, all of which we're unknown
before the eighteenth amendment
! THE time is fast approaching in
America when decisive and definite
action must be taken. In my humble
| Judgment the great mass of people
who devotedly believe that the American
! Legion is dedicated to God and country
are looking for the Legion to lead them
| out of the pitiable moraSs of legal
moral and economic complications which
have arisen under this amendment"
Norman c. Macdonald of Massa-
chusetts, who opened the debate for the
majority resolution, declared that
American institutions are in danger
! as result of prohibition and that the
Legion should assume leadership In
efforts to improve conditions which he
| described as a serious menace.
The Government has been humbled VI
| he said, land has lost control of one
of its greatest industries and has lost q
great source of revenue"
ne WAS lOlAoWeo Dy LUCAS.
Strong Plea Presented.
Vincent Carroll of Philadelphia fol-
lowed with strong plea for the resolu-
ton He declared that what we want
| is not SO much beer as the end oil
gang rule"
This is the time for us to- assume
that leadership which IS expected o.
u.s." he said. I'VE want the expression
that was denied to us when this thing
was put over"
Ed Neary of New York recalled that
year ago his delegation stood alone
| In behalf of prohibition referendum
! and was ruled out Of order by the Their
commander. o. L. Bodenhamer. He
called on the delegates to avoid "quib.
| bling and take a strong stand" He
attributed recent New York killings, in.
Guiding the shooting of children, a.
| direct results of prohibition.
Douglas Hudson of Kansas was tht
| first speaker on the other side of the
issue. He declared that a vote for the
referendum would be misinterpreted q,
! vote for the return of beer. The
Kansas delegation, he said, opposed the
resolution because of this possible mis-.
Interpretation that the Legion ha.
adopted mug of beer as its symbol.
AllusiOn TO His Veto Cheered.
Phil Scion of California, favored tn,
referendum, because of what he called
the unforeseen results" of prohibition
President Wilson. he said, was more
far-seeing than most of the rest OF
| u.s." when he vetoed the enforcement
act. This was received with a demon
stration.
We are pledged to make right maste:
OF rights" he said. How can we dc
that with gang rule getting the upper
hand in our country?"
Jack Wicker of Virginia, speaking In
opposition to the referendum, said that
the question for the Legion to decide
was not whether prohibition was a good
thing or not, but after we decided it
are we going to be stronger before the
people looking out for our disabled
comrades and carrying out other i'm
portant detectives of the Legion?"
Wicker declared the Legion should
not be drawn away from its program
OF veterans activities to enter "a par
tisan political" controversy.
! The commander put the resolution
! to Vive voce vote, in which the
chorus was about equal on each side
| A roll call was demanded and the
/ adjutant started calling the roll OF
States and departments.
Auxiliary Elects President.
The convention passed to next year
final action on proposals to form a
| Sons of the Legion organization. The
Legion directed that the committee
posal continue its work and report to
I the 1882 convention in Portland. Greg
Money from poppy sales held in the
| future must be used exclusively for well
| fare and rehabilitation work, the con-
vention directed in resolution.
| Mrs. Louise Werle Williams of Tueka
hoe, N. Y, was elected president of the
| auxiliary at the closing session OF the
! auxiliary's eleventh annual convention
| Mrs. williams received 448 votes, while
| her opponent, Mrs. w. H. Morgan OF
Edwardsyille, ILL.,, received 278.
| She succeeds Mrs. Robert Lincoln
Hoyal of Douglas, Ariz
Bonus Demand Dropped.
The Legislative Committee voted yes.
! terday against proposal demanding
/ cash payment OF the bonus. On this
| subject. as on prohibition. there was :
minority report and the delegates were
! prepared to abide by Comdr. O'Neil's
promise of full discussion OF the issue
in today's' session.
From several State department dele
cations pledged to support immediate
payment came word that q definite
stand for reduction--or waivang--of In.
/ terest on veterans bonus loans woulc
| be acceptable as a substitute. Latest
available reports of stands by deiega
! lions showed SAT votes pledged against
/ a cash bonus, SGT for cash payment
3l8 votes representing States which
have not caucused and the Ohio, In.
diana and Iowa delegations divided on
| the question.
In all previous conventions prohibi
! ton has been kept off the cofivenIiot
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