Evening star., 1934-01-16
VISIONS
| DRY Y[AW'S RETURN
Tells Senate in Annual Speech
Nation Will Go Back to
Prohibition.

The United States inevitably will re-
turn to national prohibition. Senator
Sheppard. Democrat, Of Texas, told the
Senate this afternoon. on the four
teenth anniversary of that amend
ment, Of which he was co-author.
Following his custom of reviewing
each year the advantages of prohibi-
tion, the dry leader pictured a recur-
renee, under legalized sale. of the con-
ditions which lie said brought about
the Nationwide dry law in 1920.
AS he spoke, the Senate was begin
ming consideration of the bill to legal
ize sale Of liquor in Washington. but
Senator Sheppard dealt with the oues-
ton from a national standpoint. He
denied prohibition enforcement had
failed, described the benefits which he
said accrued to the people during the
dry era and charged repeal was brought
about by deceptive propaganda" He
summed up his speech in these words:
The eighteenth amendment ought
10 be re-embOdied III the American
Constitution, a measure prohibiting an
evil that will undermine the Nations
vitality and impede the Nations ad-
yancement."
Ought to Be Returned to Jungle.
Beverage liquor. he said. ought to
be returned to the jungles and the
haunts of outlawry 10 which the
eighteenth amendment consigned 1t
IA years ago" In repeating the
amendment temporarily, he declared,
the American people demonstrated
that at times propaganda is more
powerful than principle in this Re-
public"
Inc Senator gave figures designed
TO SHOW the period of national prohi-
bition was marked by a decrease in
the death rate, a decrease of at least
tWo-thirds in consumption of intoxi-
eating liquor as compared with the
peak wet year of 1914; a decrease of
54 per cent in the number of children
brought to child welfare associations
on account of cruelty and neglect, a
decrease by thousands in the number
OF special alcoholic wards in hospitals
and various other benefits.
He said it was astounding that the
people voted to repeal the eighteenth
amendment in the face of the fact
that every alternative method for the
regulation and control Of the liquor in
dustry and traffic had been tried in
various States before the advent Of Ma
wide prohibition and found want
ing"
Cites Millionaires' Aid.
Discussing the movement which
brought about repeal Senator Sheppard
asserted. 1T is evident that a group
of millionalres aided in financing this
movement in order that liquor taxes
/ eXacted from the consuming masses
/ might modify the tax burdens which
otherwise would be carried by the rich"
In this connection, the Senator quoted
from data of the Association Against
the Eighteenth Amendment. brought
out in the Senate lobby inquiry in 1880.
Senator Sheppard declared that for
every dollar taken from the American
masses in liquor taxes, at least S4 or IS
| In addition will go TO the groups that
make and sell liquor
, 1t is said the return Of liquor will
! mean the employment of hundreds of
thousands of men" the Senator con-
tlnueo. The answer is that for every
dollar spent for beer or other liquor. a
Cellar less will be spent for food, shell
ter, clothing. education. medical service
radios, autos, travel and other facilities
and features of modern life. and that
Tor every employe made possible by al
cohollc beverages, several employees viii
be discharged from the industries pro.
! duclng necessities. on account of the
| larger number of employees in the latter
| per unit of capital invested and on &C
count of the diversion Of enormous sums
from the purchase of these necessities
! TO the purchase of drink"