Evening star., 1934-01-14

of license could be issued to grocery
stores. drug stores and other establish
ments to sell liquor by the bottle for
consumption off the premises.
The text of the letter sent to Presi-
dent Roosevelt yesterday by. Bishop
Cannon and Mr.. Crawford follows:
Dear Mr.. President:
In your opening campaign speech
at Seat Girt, N. j., on August q, 1882,
you quoted from the Democratic plat
form the following: We urge the enact
ment of such measures by the several
States as will actually promote temper
ance effectively prevent the return of
the saloons and bring the liquor traffic
into the open under complete super
vision and control by the States You
declared in your speech that you 'ac-
cepted this statement 100 per cent
I'm your proclamation on December
you declared: I ask especially that
no State shall by law or otherwise au-
thorize the return of the saloon, either
in its old form or in some modern
guise' And on December 80. in a tele-
gram to the chairman of the State
Democratic Committee of Missouri. you
said: I have great confidence that our
party leaders. not only in your State.
but wherever this question of liquor
control is coming up, will respect
provide legislation that will make i'm
possible the return of the open saloon
and all its attendant evils
These quotations clearly express
positive, unequivocal opposition to the
return of the old saloon or any modern
equivalent. But all these appeals to
party leaders in the States have neces-
sarily been purely persuasive. for as is
declared in the Missouri telegram, the
President can exercise no executive
power over the formulation of State
traffic But now the Congress of the
United States is engaged in the formu-
lation of legislation for the control of
the liquor traffic for the District Of Co.
lumbia. and concerning this legislation
the President has both persuasive and
veto power. and the District is the only
place where the President has such
power The eyes of the Nation are
centered upon the President and Con-
gress at this juncture, eager to see the
model liquor control legislation they
will jointly formulate. and for which
legislation they must bear joint respon-
sibility.
Changes in Bill Asked.
"The House Of Representatives after
a debate of only few hours passed a
bill which legalizes all the essential
features of the saloon in its old form
the sale of intoxicants by the drink
with practically no restrictions, the
glittering display Of bottles and de-
canters, the glazed or curtained win
dows, a perambulating bar; in short,
the only difference being that pur-
chasers cannot drink standing up, but
must sit on a stool at the bar to drink
beer and wine or on a stool or a chair
at q table to drink spirits, and with nc
restrictions concerning sale to women
over 10 years old (The press reports
this morning that the Senate commit
tee has retained the old-time saloon
features in the bill)
THE Executive Committee of the
Board Of Temperance and Social Serv-
ice of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South appeals to you not only as the
Chief Executive of the Nation, but also
of the District of Columbia. to use your
great influence to secure such changes
in the bill which has passed the House
of Representatives as in your own Ian
guage will prevent the return of the
saloon either in its old form or in some
modern guise.' And If, Notwithstanding
your efforts, the Senate passes this bill
without any changes in its essential
bill, as directly contrary to your openly
expressed opposition to the saloon"
| At the same time the Federation o1
Social Service Societies Of the District
announced its opposition to any legali-
zation of the beverage liquor traffic ir
Washington and urged re-enactment ol
the Sheppard local dry law.