Congressional Record-Sen Ate. July

5244 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE. JULY ,19, zones about an military canips in the United States; to the perhaps ·than any, of its successors. Are they remembered for Committee on Military Affairs. their wisdom? For their time they were wise men. but wis· By Mr. RANDALL: Petition of Woodlawn Missionary Society. dom accumulates with the years. There is not a man in this of Los Angeles, Cal., favoring the prohibition of the liquor busi Chamber that does not know more of electricity than Franklin, lleSs as a war measure; to the Committee on the. Judiciary. who knew more of it then than any other of his time. But. sir, Also memorial of Woman s Christian Temperance Union of they are not remembered for their learning. Are they remem· Pomon'a, Cai.~ pt·otesting against the waste of enormous quanti bered fo1· their oratory? There were but few orators among ti~ of food in the manufacture of beer and wine. and refusing them, and this Chamber holds the equal of their best. Are they to sign or indorse any compact to cut down the bread for our remembered for their literary attainments? Their literary families while this enormous waste is countenanced by Congress men, though great, were few. and the President ; to the Committee on the .Tudiciary~ liEN 011' COURAGE. There is .one characteristic that elevates that Congress to an eminence of fame approached by no other ; it is the sublime eour· SENATE. age with whieh they fa.eed the vexing problems of their day. In face o1! death they dared to fling THURSDAY, July 19, 1917. Defiance to a tyrant king! ·{Le(Jislative day of Wednesday, Jttly 18, 1911.) But tha.t was the small beginning of their courage. They dared open-mindedly to face the revered traditions~ cu<ttoms, The Senate reassembled at 11 o'clock a. m., on the expiration usages, and: precedents: of the awesome past and bend subm~ of the recess. sive knee to naught but truth. If in facing the pregnant Issues NATION-WIDE PROHIBITION. of this hour this Senate will emulate them in that, its fame will Mr. MYERS. Mr. President, lest we forge~ I rise- to: reeall be as glorious and endure- a.s long. to our minds a resolution that was passed by the Continental TREY LABORED FOR THEm FELLOW IIE:'i. Congress on the 27th day o! Fel;>ruary, 177!. Indeed, judging One trait alone commends them to the lasting love of a forget· from the votes that were cast in this Chamber on the 7tb day fUl world-they loved and labored for their fellow men. And this of this month., r fear it had. slipp.ed the minds of man~ of us. ' -resolution I have read is but a single incident in proof of lt. It will come as a distinct surprise· to some Congressmen that To distill grnin took food from the hungry. Enough! Let it the question of food conservation, which we _have hitherto prided stop immediately. Let tlle 1nws be effectual. Again, from it our elves upon as the- very most recent invention,. demanded extensive evils are tikely to be derived. Enougb! Let It be attention in- 1777. And it · will certainly startle some to be quickly prevented. In a single sentence of 46 words 3 of them reminded that in that connection the Congress went its limit, denote speed and action and 2 indicate thoroughness; had the without presidential interference or correspondence with the various legislattu·es heeded their appeal. this N:;ttion would have Antisaloon League, for bone-dry conservation of foodstu.tis. ~caped the " extensive evils that have been derived from the BO~E-DRY rN 1717. traffic-,, which our fathers of that Congress so clearly foresaw, Resolved, That it be recommended to the several legislatures of the United States immediately. to pass laws the most effectual for putting and itS illustrious glory, beauty, str.ength, nnd position would an immediate stop to the pernicious practice of distilling grain, by have reached heights of grn.ndure, service, and leadership now which the most extensive evils are likely to be derived if not quickly only shadowed in our fond, ambitious dreams. Doubtless cu prevented. pidity on the one hand and cowardice on the other joined to balk 'That was passed 140 years ago. Nobody had ever ·seen a this p_urpose of the gods and thwart the hope our patriotic kerosene lamp. or a cookstove,. or a: steamboat, or a locomotive. fathers bore. For cupidity and cowardice ever join against the or a postage stamp, or dreamed of a telephone, automobile, onward march of man-cupidity of those who get gain from the fiying machine, or submarine. T_hose were slow and dreamy vices, misfortunes, and inequities which civilization sa-ks to days. but Congress passed a more sensible and more effectiv~ cure, and the cowardice of those who fear to set the gauge of conservation bill-within its limitation&-in five minutes than battle against intrenchoo ·wrong, and for a new-born struggling this Senate. living in these days of enligbtened progress, hus right. Sir, read that resolution again;· it demands tbe con.-.er been able to pass in five weeks. And incidentally, to the vation of the grain from every form of intoxicants that then boundaries of its runitations, it pass~ a more statesmanlike consumed it. Dares this Senate pass its equal now? bone-dry law than this Senate seems to be willing to enact. THE ROLL CALL OF THE PAST. But they had some distinct advantages-that was before the Benjamin Franklin 11lld Robert Morris then occupied the Penn adoption of the Constitution anti before the unconstitutional sylvania seats. The Adamses and Howard Treat Payne were ghost was stalked at every legislative feast. And they had some worthy representatives of the character as well as the culture disadvantages-unfortunately they could not enact any law of the old Bay State. Patrick Henry, Benjamin Harrison. and binding up.on anybody, and their resolution met in the legisla Peyton Randolph spoke for Old Dominion, while Stephen Hop tures the fate that great things often meet at the hands of small kins of Rhode Island, and John Jay and Philip Livingstone, of men. Ne~ York, clothed with solemn dignity nnd perfumed with BEER HAD NOT YE1: DTSCOVERED AMERICA.. moral worth the honor of the seats that they filled with such Some critic may urge that the measure was not bone-dry, since lofty purpose and distinguished patrioti<:<m. May we commend • 1t did not mention brewing. · At that date beer had not dis ourselves to the honor and love of posterity by courage as lofty covered .4merica. The q-overnment has no record of' the beer and aspirations us h.oly·as moved our illustrious predecessors. industry prio:r to 184():-63 years after the adoption of this reso lution-and then the per capita consumption was but 1.36 gill TKX~ BLAZED TRlil TRAIL OF RUMAN PROGRESS. Ions or less than one.twelfth the per capita consumption of They cut new highways for the better day to come. They last'l·ear. · asked no counsel of the murky past. but lifted their eyes to the CY.EAR-VISIONED MEN. dawn and strove on. We. their successors, now stand in the Thls wa~ the urgent and heartfelt·appeai of earnest men for noontide of the day whose gray morning they helped to usher immediate action forbidding the trans!ormation of their in. by the light of their new concept of the purpose of govern· strength-giving grains into a poison which was certain to bring ment-to guarantee th~ "life~ liberty, and happiness" of the a flood of soctal and domestic disorders. They were without people. And the liquor traffic stands repugnnnt to and destruc· the modern knowledge of tile physical effect of alcohol upon the tive of life. the protection of which is the first sacred purpo e human system and the physical economy. They were without of government; and of liberty, that sweet heritage so dear that the guidance of the ~perience of charitable, correctional, and brave men have ever counted it a duty and a joy to give their penni institutions. They did not have the testimony of judges lives and fortunes to advance its cause; and happines , without of every court. of peace officers of every grade, and of cities which both life and liberty re t as empty burdens upon the human and Sfates of every section a1l witnessing the _destructive and soul. And, sir, Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Adams and corrosive e-ivic and social effects of drink. And sir, it was before Patrick Henry and their compatriots who adopted that mar tbe advent of the saloon; it was before drunkenness was looked velously patriotic resolution, every wo-rd of which is weighted upon as a weah'lless; it was before the min~ters of Christ either with significance and force, saw. even in the dusk of tbat dawn· shunned it or looked upon it with marked disfavol"; it was be ing, the wanton waste- of needed food "and the extem;;h·e evils fore the employer. of labor discrimin_nted against the drinker; likely to be· derived.'' and, thQugh there were few abstainers it ""as before in. UTance companies frowned· npon nlrohnl : lt was in the group; had tlie co.urage that thi.i pampered age seem.s before t:rr.e .c'linr.cll ..flPma.n(IN-1 tOC.oil nh..<:ttilwuce ~ it was before the hardly to posse s to act with clear-eyed SiatesmanBhip and '~ith school taught the effect · of the poison ; it wu' before there was purpose single to the Nation's good.

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