Governmental Figures
People within the government were the most directly influential during the fight for National Prohibition, and were able to enact the necessary legislature to establish prohibition throughout the country.
Morris Sheppard
At the forefront of the political movement to create the legislature necessary to enact prohibition needs was Morris Sheppard, a Democratic Senator from Texas who was considered the "father of National Prohibition." A vocal supporter in the Temperance movement, Sheppard helped write the Webb-Kenyon Act in 1913 which regulated the shipment of alcohol throughout the states. In addition, he created the Sheppard Bone-Dry Act of 1916 which enacted prohibition in the District of Columbia. Sheppard also proposed the resolution of the Eighteenth Amendment which permitted it to pass and instated National Prohibition, and he helped write the Volstead Act which enforced the law. Like William Jennings Bryan (below), he was known throughout the nation as an orator and would speak about topics including National Prohibition. Sheppard's role in prohibition was very important due to his part in many pieces of legislature. His help in authoring anti-alcohol acts made him essential to the movement and it was through his hard work that prohibition was even enacted. |
Wayne Wheeler
Considered a de facto prohibition leader and nicknamed the "Dry Boss," Wayne Wheeler was the mastermind behind most prohibition measures, especially the Volstead Act. A main member of the Anti-Saloon League, he served as their main attorney; using pressure tactics, Wheeler had major impact in the political actions of his day. One of his main goals was to try to successfully elect politicians into the Congress so that they could support the legislature necessary to pass the the bills required to enact the National Prohibition he wanted. Wheeler's view point on the Prohibition was that it required strict enforcement without compromise. His biographer Justin Steuart notes: He was a proponent of force, and "he desired the most severe penalties, the most aggressive policies even to calling out the Army and navy, the most relentless prosecution" (Steuart, 14). With this unrelenting drive to create national prohibition, Wheeler was able to implant enough candidates in Congress to pass the legislation needed. In the end, Wheeler had a direct effect in creating and enacting the Prohibition, because his political tactics ensured that candidates who would pass his bill would be elected. |
Watch Wayne Wheeler on PBS. See more from Ken Burns. |
William Jennings Bryan
Having taken a temperance pledge at the age of twelve, Bryan was raised from a young age to live "dry," or without alcohol. He considered prohibition to be a struggle against the selfishness of humans who put prioritized profit more than health. In 1910, he abandoned his neutral stand on prohibition and actively began to encourage Democrats to forsake the consumption of alcohol. At the Democratic state convention, he introduced an option that let counties regulate the sale of liquor within that county's parameters. This right was said to include the right to prohibit saloons inside of the county. Nicknamed the "silver tongue orator" for his smooth public speaking skills, Bryan also gave speeches about temperance and endorsed prohibition through them. As such, William Jennings Bryan influenced prohibition rather directly. Besides helping to establish legislature supporting prohibition, his public speaking also helped National Prohibition. His speeches likely caused many people who initially were not pro-prohibition to support the movement, and thus Bryan helped the movement to spread and take hold across the country. |
"The fight against evil is always an uphill one, and the hill is never steeper than when you fight the liquor interests."
-- William Jennings Bryan
-- William Jennings Bryan