Evening star., 1933-02-04
|CANN0N ASSA|LS
| WETS|N CONGRESS
| FOR BACKING BEER
House and Senate Groups
Held Band of "LaWIess
Lawmakers"
CHURCHMAN ADDRESSES
RALLY OF DRY LEADERS
Nearly 200 Attend Meeting Last
Night Called in Protest Against
Collier.Blaine Bill.


tions attended the meeting, which was
held In the Washington Hotel.
Bishop Cannon, speaking as chair
man of the Board of Temperance and
Social Service. representing the Meth
odist Episcopal Church South, declared:
Both the Judiciary and Finance
Committees of the Senate have reported
favorably bill, which deliberately, with
full knowledge of the facts, nullifies
the Constitution, and have Intentionally
so framed the bill as to make it as
difficult as possible for its constitu-
tionality to be passed upon by the
courts. In short, the House OF Repre-
sentatives and the Judiciary and
Finance Committees of the Senate have
put themselves on record officially as
band Of lawless lawmakers, who are
willing to nullify openly the Constitu-
ton they have solemnly sworn to up
hold and support, in order to crafty
the hysterical clamor for intoxicating
beer.
I'VE protest that these lawless law
makers have brought disgrace upon our
country and deserve and will, we be-
lieve, receive the condemnation of their
constituents, except, perhaps, in those
centers Of our population where un-
blushing. shameless graft and corrdp-
ton dominate the political life"
Mrs. Peabody Presides.
Mrs Henry w. Peabody. chairman of
the Womans National Committee for
Law Enforcement, presided and intro
duced the IS speakers.
Attacking the procedure followed in
adopting the Collier Blaine bill, Ed
ward B. Dunford, attorney for the. Anti
Saloon League, said the humor in the
performance is exceeded only when the
reasons advanced for the adoption OF
the measure are analyzed. If it were
not for the national headache this leg
islation might cause, 1t could fairly be
treated as colossal joke.
The difference between the beer
bills Of the House and Senate is the
aggravated assault upon the Consti-
tuition.
The Collier bill sought openly,
frankly and directly to legalize ordi-
nary pre-prohibition beer and was so
framed as to permit a decision upon
its constitutionality by the Supreme
Court"
The Senate bill constitutes an ag-
gravated assault by stealth, with intent
to MAIN, disfigure and destroy the eight
zenith amendment by notification
through Withdrawing the penalties from
the manufacture and sale of beer, and
Is purpoSely framed to make it more
difficult to secure ruling upon its con-
stitutionality by the Supreme Court"
Canon william Sheafe Chase pointed
out that attempts in England to win
the public away from hard liquor by
making beer available had failed. The
only effect Of these experiments, he
said, was to increase the drinking of
both beer and gin. He also said SIM
liar experiments in several States and
Territories had failed.
Scores Intoxication.
Mrs. Harvey w. Wiley, president Of
the District of Columbia Federation Of
Women's Clubs, cited testimony of her
late husband. DR.. Harvey w. Wiley, to
show that 2.75 per cent beer Is intoXi-
eating. She also quoted q statement
from Dr. Richard c. Cabot, who said:
"A considerable proportion of men
drink beer. not because they are thirsty
or because they like the taste particu-
larly, but because they want to produce
a certain sensation of exhilaration and
forgetfulness. This being SO, they will
60 on drinking beer until they attain
the desired result. It may take a little
more time, but it lands a man in the
same place he would reach little more
quickly by the whisky route"
Mrs. Jesse w. Nicholson, president OF
the National Woman's Democratic Law
Enforcement League, charged that the
Association Against the Prohibition
Amendment Is financed by millionaires
who want to bring back beer in order
to be relieved of their income taxes.
"They wish to put on the poor mans
family a $4,000, 600, 900 tax on beer and
liquor in order to raise a paltry $780,
000, 900 revenue, thus diverting from the
channels of legitimate business each
year billions needed by the poor man
| to buy bread, milk, clothes, shoes, furni-
ture and educational advantages for mis-
children.
"Those against the beer bill represent
millions, while those for it represent
noisy, self-seeking minority"
She also charged that both the DEM
ocratic and Republican national con-
ventions last year were packed" with
wet supporters.
Denies Job Prospects.
Denying that the beer bill would
bring about an increase in employment,
william S. Bennett, secretary of the
American Business Mems Prohibition
Foundation, said the beer industry en-
ploys fewer men per dollar Of invest
ment than any other business.
After asserting that prohibition has
greatly increased the production and
sale Of fresh fruits, vegetables and milk.
he said:
"The only real argument IN favor of
the bill from the business mans stand
point is the possibilities of beer as a
source of tax revenue. But the eco
nomic sacrifice involved would greatly
Offset any possible tax benefits, aside
from the obvious bad ethics Of any
such trade"
He also said the purchase Of grains
by the brewers would not help the
certain starches had been extracted,
would come back on the market as
cheap dairy and stock foods.
Mrs. William Tnton, chairman Of the
Women's National Committee for Edu-
cation Against Alcohol, said the beer
for revenue measure shifts the tax
burden from the shoulders Of the
wealthy to the poor man. This is q
rank Democratic heresy."
John B. Hammond, representing the
National Civic League, declared that
beer IS intoxicating. He also criticized
those who would resort to violation of
the Constitution to balance the budget" I"
James B. Pritchard, representing the
Saracene, an organization formed in
opposition to the Young Crusaders,
said ''the cry for beer does not come
from the youth Of the land. Those
LEGISLATORS who support the bill and
bring beer back will have to take the
responsibility for the havoc it works
with the young solely upon themselves" I"
He read a telegram from Frank A.
Vanderlip, jr., treasurer of the Sara
Gene, advocating education of young
people on the effects of alcohol.
Drinking Women Scorned.
The supreme question before Ameri-
can womanhood today Is not how to
carry heq Hquo<r AR + Keien