About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 Forcing a Fight for Liberty 1919

handle is hein.beal/forfilib0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Reprint from the New York World, January 28th, 1919. FORCING A FIGHT FOR LIBERTY To the Editor of The World: There is one American opposed to Prohibition, and opposed to it, as he has expressed himself, on the broad- est grounds, whom I supposed to be immune from the insolent, slurring attacks of the Prohibition lobby. I did not think that it, or even its Mr. Anderson, would venture to as- sail the integrity of Cardinal Gib- bons. If there is any one in our country who enjoys its universal love and respect, certainly he is that dear old man. But he could not get away from Anderson. In that spirit of toleration, reason- ableness and justice which for fifty years has been the compass that has directed the life of this man and teacher, he has come to be at eighty not only the leader of his communion in this country, but he has won from every other communion, and from the Jews, and from the political par- ties, and from those that we class as Capital and those that we class as Labor, that place which gives to him universal attention and at the same time the tribute of uncovered heads. He has spoken of Prohibition fre- quently, always opposing it; and on the subject of Federal Prohibition he has been as severe as his conception of the proper use of words permits him to be. He has said that it was a denial of personal liberty, that it would bring about dangerous class troubles, that it was unenforceable, and that it led to the violation and degradation of law; that it was an abrogation of public and States rights that the Constitution had been heretofore careful to preserve, that it could not accomplish its purpose, and that that purpose was much more effectively accomplished by regula- tion. So Anderson goes to Baltimore, the Cardinal's See, and gathers about him, with the resources of the Prohi- bition lobby, an audience, tells them that the Cardinal's remark (if, inci- dental to his general argument, the Cardinal ever made it) that Prohibi- tion would be an interference with the obtaining of fermented wines for sacramental purposes-Anderson tells his procured audience and, through the newspapers, the rest of us, that the Cardinal is ignorant; and, accord- ing to report, he says, Assuming that Cardinal Gibbon's statement is made in good faith- Think of it! Anderson hinting that anything uttered by Cardinal Gibbons might not have been made in good faith! Anderson hinting to the peo- ple of Baltimore that this old man, who for half a century has been their guide, preceptor and friend, may have had a false or ulterior motive in offering to them his counsell As to the effect of the Prohibition Amendment upon the securing of wines, fermented or unfermented, for sacramental purposes, the Cardinal is perfectly right in what Anderson says he said. It will be an inter- ference, and a serious one. The grape industry for the production of wines will be practically destroyed. Grapes from which wines can be pro- duced are borne on a peculiar plant that can be fostered only in a peculiar soil, and the market for grapes to produce wines for sacramental pur- poses is not likely to sustain a worth- while industry. If wine grapes can- not be produced for the market they now have, the use of wine for sac- ramental purposes will be interfered with by higher prices and by the in- ability, especially in the smaller churches in the smaller communities, to obtain it on the day appointed for the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. But the 747 patent medicines con- taining anywhere from 10 to 95 per cent. of alcohol, capitalized to-day at nearly $75,000,000, and, protected by this amendment, sure to be capita- lized at three times that figure two years from now, will continue to be available, not to consecrate a soul to righteousness, but to meet the de- mand of a hopeless appetite. The Federal amendment puts no check upon the manufacture of patent medicines. The Internal Revenue Department possesses all the facts, industrial and chemical, concerning these frauds. It has certified to Con- gress that of the 747 varieties the alcohol in them goes as high as 93% per cent., and that the vast majority of them contain from 30 to 50 per cent. All that any one has to do to make such a medicine is to put into a bottle, say 87 per cent. of alcohol, 13 per cent. of water and a mint Reproduction by Permission of Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Buffalo, NY

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most