The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-11-23
Its Smart to Be Legal!
Vets, Drys Applaud
Drive to Stamp Out
Bootlegger for Good
Make 1t Smart to Be Legal. "

90
Make 1t Smart to Be Legal"
This suggestion by The Times and
other Scripps Howard newspapers
/ for a national civic slogan after re-
peal, to settle the liquor problem,
today was Endorsed by prominent
Indianapolis citizens and visiting
notables.
Wet and dry alike see in this
appeal to civic consciousness a
logical approach to a grave social
problem-the abolition of the boot
/ logger and all he represents.
I'm one of the few people in ex-
istence who never bought anything
from a bootlegger," says Princess
Cantacuzene, nee Julia Grant.
Granddaughter of G enera
ULYSSES S. Grant and born in the
White House while her grandfather
was President, the Princess Canta-
cuzenes ideas carry a compelling
weight.
She is chairman of the American
Legion auxiliary's national com
mittee on national defense.
Il never have been affiliated with
either prohibition or an anti
prohibition organization, yet 1 have
cherished a hearty resentment OF
the prohibition laws" asserts the |
princess. L feel that the American |
people have as much right to have |
wine and other liquor on their |
tables as they have to bread and |
meat
L am an earnest advocate of |
support of the Constitution of this |
country, and all laws based upon it. |
I therefore am bitterly opposed to !
patronage of a bootIegger, or any |
other violator of United States
laws
ARTHUR GTLLIOM-With pro-
hibition definitely struck out of |
the Constitution, whatever is
done in the way of liquor control |
should be calculated to eliminate /
illicit traffic.
AL G.. FEENEY Estate depart
ment of safety directOr) Making
it smart to be legal undoubtedly
would aid greatly in remedying
conditions after repeal. The
bootleg mObS already have
switched from the illicit liquor
traffic to endeavOrs such as bank
robbery and kidnapping. Citizens
also should make it smart to pro-
vide adequate budgets and refuse to
allow their police departments to
BE- underpaid and undermined.
MRS. SYLVESTER JOHNSON
l long have favored the repeal of |
the prohibition amendment as the |
most effective method of bringing |
real temperance. Now that repeal |
is fact, the greatest problem is
an effective control of liquor dis
tribution. Although government |
liquor may, for the present, be con-
Siderably higher in price than that |
offered by bootleggers, this fact
should not deter us from obtaining
it through the proper channels. We |
must discourage the bootlegger.
DIR. JAMES A. GRAIN director
National Prohibition Emergency
I CommisSion)-I am, and always will |
be. opposed to liquor traffic and reve-
rue in any form, legal or illegal. |
It has been smart to be illegal
long time. The need now is to make /
1t vogue to be legal, not only in
the matter of liquor. but in other
things as well. The same advice |
in The Times editorial might be
applied to chiselers against the NRA
and in regard to poor relief. Let's |
be smart officially as we'll as le-
gally.
IRA M. HOLMES (attorney)-I am
heartily in sympathy with the
movement to make it smart to be
legal by freezing out the bootleg
ger. believe that racketeering
and illegal liquor selling already have
been dealt a body blow by repeal. |
With legal liquor selling at a rea-
sonable price and cooperation on
the part of the public, the bootleg |
ger will eXterminate himself from |
the racket by cutting prices until
there is no profit left.
u
BOOTH JAMESON short story
writer and nephew of Booth
TarkingtOn)-I agree with the
editorial in The Times. 1t is, of
course, true that liquor should be
purchased through the proper
channels and should be controlled
by experts so that bOotIeggers can
be put out of business. There is,
however. great danger that the
whole thing may be ruined bv
politics. A government tax is
naturally necessary, but it should
not be so high as to let the gov
eminent get too much profit, nor
to make liquor purchases impossi-
BILE for the citizen of limited
means
THOMAS A. HENDRICKS On
diana State Medical Association sec
retary)-It will continue to be smart
to drink bootleg liquor if the gov
eminent does not meet the price of
bootleg liquor Legitimate LIQUOR can
not be overburdened with taxes. if
the government expects the public
not to take advantage of the eco
nomic condition. I believe the
Rockefeller plan is the answer to
the question.
COMMANDER HAYES (nationaI
leader Of the American Legion)-It
is not only smart to be legal now.
but it was smart to be legal before
repeal. Had we not winked at
violators of the law. and had we
prosecuted the purchaser as well as
the bootlegger We would have been
rid of prohibition long before this.
GOVERNOR PAUL V. MNUTT-