A Member of the Pickwick Club on Prohibition - Speech - April 25th, 1929

Sep 21, 2026

Bibliographic microform record for “A Member of the Pickwick Club on Prohibition,” including publication date 1929 and additional dated exposure entries (notably 1930). The included text presents a formal address framed around liquor prohibition, proposing federal authority to control alcohol use rather than only prohibiting it. The speech argues about personal liberty, population density, distinctions among abstainers, temperate users, and drunkards, and the need for regulations prescribed by Congress.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

RESTRICTIONS ON USE:

TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA

DATE FILMED

RESTRICTION STATEMENT

GENTIEMEN:

The liquor question: control, distribution, and relief

Personal liberty and the Eighteenth Amendment

Federal control vs. state control

Amending the amendment and regulations

97-84097-14 A member of the PickwickClub on prohibition[Roselle,N.J.?] [1929] # COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIESPRESERVATION DIVISION BIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET ORIGINAL MATERIAL AS FILMED-EXISTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD OCLC:36685846Rec stat:nEntered:19970407Replaced:19970407Used:19970407Type:aELvl:KSrce:dAudn:ctrl:Lang: engBLvl: mForm:aConf:0Biog:MRec:ctry: njuCont:GPub:Fict:0Indx: 0Desc: aIlls:Fest:0DtSt:SDates:1929,1040PR1 Vc PR1 」」」」 2007h vbd vd a ve f vf a---vg b vh a vi c vjp艹3007h vb d vd a ve f vf a---vg b vh a vi a vj p4007h vb d vd a ve f vf a---vg b vh a vi bvj p艹5090vb 廿L6049ZCUA724502A member of the Pickwick Club on prohibition vh[microform].“8260[Roselle,N.J.?:b s.n.,vc 1929]\#93007 p.;Vc 17 Cm,10500Cover title, 」」」」 Reproductions may not be made without permision from Columbia University Libraries. ## RESTRICTIONS ON USE: # TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA 35mmREDUCTION RATIO: 9:/MAGE PLACEMENT:IA(IIA IB IIB FILM SIZE: DATE FILMED: 513317 INITIALS: L TRACKING\#: 23920 FILMED BY PRESERVATION RESOURCES,BETHLEHEM,PA. fhrough the President's Oflic A MEMBER OF THE PICKWICK CLUBON PROHIBITION APRIL 25th,1929 。n及0.ad 12,1930 G nu GENTIEMEN: My offer on the liquor question has foursides. Give Congress Pocer to Control the Useof Liquor. Eliminate Private Profit in the Distribu-tion of Liquor. Provide Relief for Drunkards and theirDependents. Curb Drunkennes8. Consider first the Eighteenth Amend-ment as violating personal liberty.If per-sonal liberty to swing one's fists be properlylimited by the proximity of another's nose,it follows that personal liberty is not defi-nite,but is affected by density of popula-tion,and diminishes as density of popula-tion increases.Unrestrained individual lib-erty to use alcohol has been abr.dgedin every civilized land.Therefore theEighteenth Amendment is a new invasion INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE enr r1 0a adhut,2 1930 mu1 e士A① Feb,20,1930 GENTIEMEN: My offer on the liquor question has foursides. Give Congress Power to Control the Useof Liquor. Eliminate Private Profit in the Distribu-tion of Liquor. Provide Relief for Drunkards and theirDependents. Curb Drunkenness. Consider first the Eighteenth Amend-ment as violating personal liberty.If per-sonal liberty to swing one's fists be properlylimited by the proximity of another's nose,it follows that personal liberty is not defi-nite,but is affected by density of popula-tion,and diminishes as density of popula-tion increases.Unrestrained individual lib-erty to use alcohol has been abrdgedin every civilized land.Therefore theEighteenth Amendment is a new invasion of personal liberty only in that it prohibitswhat many consider for present conditionsis a permissable use of alcohol. Consider next whether Federal Controlis preferable to forty-eight different StateControls.We observe efforts to harmon-ize state legislation in matters of marriageand divorce,and in taxation.In bothof these domains the subjects of legislationare more or less rooted to the ground andtherefore naturally amenable to state con-trol.For a transportable commodity strongarguments can be adduced for one centralcontrol.And it is conceivable that the cen-tral control could be adapted in differentstates to suit local conditions.If FederalControl is desirable,an Eighteenth Amend-ment is necessary. But the Eighteenth Amendment,asworded,gives federal authority only to pro-hibit.If the Eighteenth Amendment beamended to_give federal power to CoN-TROL THE UsE OF ALCOHOL without spe-cifically aiming to eliminate its use,though nevertheless giving the power to prohibit,itseems to me that the desirable improvementwould be effected. My first suggestion,therefore,is to amendthe Eighteenth Amendment by adding toSection One,"ExCEPT UND

FAQs

What is the core argument about the liquor question in the speech?

The speaker proposes giving Congress power to control the use of liquor, eliminate private profit in its distribution, provide relief for drunkards and dependents, and curb drunkenness.

How does the speaker address the Eighteenth Amendment and personal liberty?

The speech treats the Eighteenth Amendment as an invasion of personal liberty in the sense that it prohibits a permissable use of alcohol under present conditions.

What amendment change does the speaker suggest?

The speaker suggests amending the Eighteenth Amendment by adding to Section One an exception for regulations to be prescribed by Congress, shifting authority toward control rather than outright prohibition.

Sep 21, 2026

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