“WETS” CAMPAIGN.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 7 April 1926, Page 9

“WETS” CAMPAIGN.

DIRECTED AGAINST VOLSTEAD ACT.

WASHINGTON, April 5. Mr .Edge; opening tho “Wets’ ”• case before the Senate slib-Committee, said:

“The Volstead law was (1) placed ini man happines’s under the irritating, harassing domination of sour, corrosive narrow-minded Puritanism, which does not hesitate to avow its enmity even to such innocent recreations as smoking and dancing; (2) for flic first time it has brought the Church deeply into politics; (3) it has established a settled commerce! between the worthier and most uJiw’ortliy members of Hie community; (4) it lias created an underworld almost as thoroughly organised as the respectable world above; (5) it has tended to bring all laws, including itself, into more or less disrespect; (6) it has lowered the prestige of the Federal Government ; (7) it’has fostered deceit, perfidy, espionage and tyranny m some of their meanest and most hateful aspects; and, lastly, it has been responsible for the unprecedented phenomenon of thousands and thousands of reputable men and women, including guardians of the law itself living in habitual disregard of the constitution and law.”