Evening star., 1932-12-23
The Beer Bill Passes.

speeisf dispatches herein are also reserved.
The Beer Bill Passes.
1ns beer bill that passed the House
h In many respects illogical. 1t at
tsmpts by legislation to make . non
intoxicating beverage out Of beer that
heretofore in anti-alcohol leglsla-
taon and In liquor laws Of the
past has been generally treated ~
Intoxicating. And the fundamental
reason for declaring this beer non-i'-
toxicating Is not so much the result OF
psysiological research into the effects
a slcohol-for nobody can get drunk
an anything unless he takes enough to
make him drunk-as 1t Is the fact that
the Federal Government needs revenue.
rhat was admitted when the maximum
alcoholic limit was raised from the
proposed 2.75 per cent by weight to
81 per cent by weight for the simple
reason that beer Of the former content
would not sell In large enough quanti-
ties to produce revenue. Furthermore,
the beer bill has been passed in the
face Of party pledges against the re-
turn Of the saloon. As passed, the beer
bill permits, even invites, the return OF
the saloon. For, II and when the
states attempt to regulate the sale Of
beer because of its intoxicating quail
tiles, they will be attempting to 'regu-
late the sale Of a beverage that has
been declared n-intoxicating In fact.
But the House Of Representatives has
passed the beer bill. The House rep
resents the will Of the people. The
people want beer and will have it. Even
II this bill fails in the Senate, which
b improbable II It comes to . vote.
and even II 1t IL vetoed by the Presi-
dent, which Is more than possible, these
setbaeks will mean nothing except q
slight delay. The new Congress, II
called IN March. Will pass beer bill
and the President Will sign 1t.
Why. then, protest against this bill?
Are We not committed to majority rule
IA this country? Does not the passage
Of the bser bill by House that In .
few short months has practically re-
verssd ~ stand On the prohibition
question merely come - added evi-
denes that tho psopls want beer7
One may grant that the people want
bssr and st tho salns time protest. on
good ground. TBS enactment Of the
measure passed by the House, or the
enactment Of any such measure by
future oongress in advance Of repeal
q modification Of the eighteenth
amendment. II Will doubtless be pro-,
On the srovnd that It Is not the sort
of measure the politicians promised the
people Of this country.
Until q few weeks ago the state
ment that Everybody Is opposed to the
saloon" would 60 unchallenged. The
most ardent Of vets themselves sought
designation as the truest friends Of
temperance and sobTiety, anxious ut all
costs to prevent the return OF the sa-
loon. Yet the House leadership has not
permitted q single vote to test the sen
tmsnt In favor Of beer but against the
saloon % opposed to sentiment in "a
vor Of beer and in favor Of the saloon
The original proposal by the Demo.
Gratis to amend the Volstead act was
never expressed In the concrete terms.
q this beer bill. Light beer was, up to
. short time ago, spoken Of Is ais per
cent beer. Now light beer, in the beer
bill. u the beer of pre-prohibition days
The bill would become effective thirty
days after its signature by the Presi-
dent That would obviously permit the
machinery necessary to control this new
flood Of q beverage declared non.intoxi-
eating by the Federal Congress. Where
II the fulnllment Of the party
pledge OF tho Democrats to urge
the enactment of such measures
By the several States n will actu-
ally promote temperance. effectively
prevent the return Of the saloon and
bring the liquor trafdc into the open
under complete supervision and control
Of the States?" Is that pledge to be
rspudiatsd7
A food Of 1 per cent legalized beer
viii not ruin the country. It will not
All the s.,ttars with drunken men Rut
It viii denote . deplorable failure, by
rssponsibls legislators, to conceive the
Nquor problem Is one that still re-
q,1irss careful and mature consideration.
Ths beer bill merely comphcates the
problem and offers no solution. It
suggests serious doubt Of our ability -
Q Nation to do anything about the
liquor problem unless We do 1T by
0tsmes.
Il might be easier to recognize Rus