Citizenship

In Washington, under the auspices of the Federal Council of Churches, was held a " Citizenship Conference." Its roster of speakers included Governor Pinchot of Pennsylvania, William J. Bryan, Senator William E. Borah. They found a common topic in prohibition.

Said Governor Pinchot, who has Presidential aspirations: " The thing that has protected the liquor criminal is politics. . . . The Federal Enforcement Service . . . will never be worth its salt until it is taken wholly out of politics. . . The President should take personal charge. Not only has the political hamstringing of the Federal Enforcement Service had its seat in Washington, but it is notorious that disobedience of the Eighteenth Amendment has been flagrant in the Capital City. . . ."

Said William Jennings Bryan at an evening session at which President Coolidge was present: " If the President and his Cabinet with the Governors and their advisors would publicly announce that they themselves are teetotalers and will not use intoxicants themselves, it would do more to strengthen the prohibition sentiment of the nation than anything else could do."

Said William E. Borah: << The hotbed and noisy rendezvous of lawlessness, of cynical defiance to the Eighteenth Amendment are among those of social standing. . . . The ' red ' sits in his darkly lighted room around his poorly laden table and denounced those provisions of the Constitution placed there to protect property. The ' white' sits in his brilliantly lighted rooms about his richly laden table and defies or denounces the provision of the Constitution placed there in the belief it would protect the home."