"No Worse Than Tea"

Michigan is a state that has voted dry by substantial majorities several times since 1916. Previous to that it was rapidly becoming dry by local option. Senator Couzens virtually threw his gauntlet in the face of this sentiment by declaring that 5% beer was neither worse nor more intoxicating than tea or coffee.

Senator Couzens, Canadian by birth, a former business associate of Henry Ford, a former Mayor of Detroit on a reform platform, has enough money to be independent of "ward" politics--and has the reputation of exercising that independence. Governor Groesbeck appointed him a few months ago to succeed to the mud-beslung seat of former Senator Newberry. If Senator Couzens hopes to continue in office he must stand for re-election next year.

Yet he dared to tell his dry state that he believed:

1) That beer of from 21/2 to 5% alcoholic content is not intoxicating.

2) That no more attention should be paid to the Anti-Saloon League than to "any other group of lobbyists blindly promoting something they wrongly think beneficial to the country."

3) That he is glad that the saloon is gone, and he has no desire "to violate the 18th Amendment or to let down on law enforcement."

4) But that the Anti-Saloon League is "going far afield" when it attempts to say that any beverage with over one-half of one per cent, alcoholic content is intoxicating.

The Anti-Saloon League replied by declaring that the Senator had "abused" it, and by intimating that he was "interested in the return of booze." "I will go sled length in showing up the kind of men who are running the League While I have not exactly made up my mind to run next year, the attitude of the Anti-Saloon League has pushed me a long way toward an affirmative decision. .... The Anti-Saloon League is a powerful organization. It raises hundreds of millions of dollars to bulldoze Representatives and Senators into carrying out their will. The Devil also has a big organization..."