Toil and Trouble

The prohibition pot boiled bitterly, not merrily--in Washington last week. Most of the turbulence was on the surface, yet perhaps it displayed a little of what was going on underneath, for prohibition is expected to play a major part in the elections of at least three large states next fall, Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania--in Illinois because Mr. Brennan, the wet Democratic boss, has announced his candidacy for the Senate against the dry Republicans; in New York because the drys are expected to put up a candidate against Senator Wadsworth, who is not dry enough to suit them; and in Pennsylvania, where Representative Vare, wet boss of the Philadelphia machine, is expected to run against Senator Pepper and Gifford Pinchot, both drys.

Last week's events were not directly connected with these expectations, but doubtless they were affected by them.

Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Lincoln C. Andrews, in charge of prohibition enforcement, proposed a non-partisan investigation of the results of prohibition. Secretary Mellon opposed this, saying that the findings would only produce bitterness and not yield any other tangible result.

In the Senate, Mr. Edwards of wet New Jersey proposed a national referendum-- on prohibition, saying: "Of course, Wayne B. Wheeler, general counsel of the Anti-Saloon League, believes my proposal to submit to a referendum of the people the question as to whether we are to have wines and beers, is an 'illegal, impracticable proposal.'

"Any proposal looking to a fair, just and impartial treatment of the criminal, fraudulent and deceitful administration of present enforcement measures would have no appeal to one who has been a consistent violator of the law himself and has browbeaten and intimidated legislators to promote iniquitous prohibition legislation drafted and lobbied through Congress by the Anti-Saloon League."

The House Committee on Alcoholic Liquor Traffic decided it would investigate the effects of prohibition, but the wets laughed in derision. Representative Celler, a New York wet, exclaimed:

"The Committee on Alcoholic Liquor Traffic has been sleeping over ten years. You can't expect much from somnambulists. With one notable exception, LaGuardia, these committeemen are so dry they will not allow anyone to 'drink in' the morning air, and even prohibit a golf bag to have a 'stick' in it.

"The chairman of this committee is Mr. Hudson, a benign and splendid gentleman, but he has been an official of the Anti-Saloon League. His mind is already made up.

"Another member is William D. Upshaw, able and sincere, but enthusiastically misguided. He thinks he is a St. George fighting dragons, yet I admire him for the 'spirit' he puts into his fight.

"Another is Mr. Kvale, earnest and fearless. He defeated Volstead by convincing the farmers of his district that Volstead was not dry enough. He is so dry he could dehydrate a desert.

"The only oasis is LaGuardia, sturdy, two-fisted Congressman, worthy foe of any man. He has no chance of keeping the proceedings impartial. His efforts will fall as flat as the foam on near-beer."

Assistant Secretary Andrews told the Ways and Means Committee of the House that prohibition enforcement would cost more than $25,000,000 this year.

On the floor of the House, wets and drys met in an oratorical free-for-all. Congressman Tinkham of Massachusetts ejaculated:

"Anyone who tries to be a Christian and a prohibitionist must lead a double life. I commend that sentence to the gentlemen from Georgia [Mr. Upshaw] and Texas [Mr. Blanton]. Truth crushed to earth will rise again."

To this Mr. Upshaw retorted: "As the trusted representative of millions** of God-fearing Americans, I would feel like a coward if I were to fail to brand such an indictment of my faithful comrades as miserably and palpably untrue.

"Whether it be Cabinet officers, a United States Senator, a Methodist Bishop, a Baptist evangelist, a Presbyterian doctor of divinity, the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Pope of Rome, I do not propose to allow any man to declare, without my indignant protest, that the stalwart, God-fearing men and praying handmaidens of God who fought for prohibition on their knees as well as at the ballot box are given to the habitual practice of misrepresentation."

*An unofficial straw vote was last week undertaken by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (N. E. A.) through newspapers in 375 cities in various parts of the country. Three options were given to voters: 1) enforcement of the Volstead Act, 2) repeal, 3) amendment of the Act to permit light wines and beer.

**In 1920 (last census) Congressman Upshaw's constituents numbered 308,364.