"SERIOUS & GRIEVOUS"

ROY HAYNES' NAME OMITTED FROM CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTORY

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) The Evening Star reports on December 12, 1925, that the omission of Roy A. Haynes'* name from the new Congressional Directory has led to speculation that the Coolidge administration has "deliberately eliminated Mr. Haynes from the directory.

Assistant Secretary of Treasury Lincoln Andrews** described the omission as "serious and grievous."

JFK+50 NOTE

The Congressional Directory is the official directory of the Congress of the United States prepared by the Joint Committee on Printing.  It features short biographies of each member, listed by state & district.

JFK had a copy of the January 1963 edition of the Pocket Congressional Directory on his desk at the time of his death.  I have a copy of that edition on my desk as well.

*Roy Asa Haynes (1881-1940) was editor of a daily newspaper in Hillsboro, Ohio before being appointed assistant Secretary of Treasury in charge of Prohibition enforcement by President Warren G. Harding.  RAH served in that position 1920-1925.

**Lincoln Clark Andrews (1867-1950) attended Cornell University & graduated from the U.S. Military Academy.  LCA served in the Spanish-American War & rose to the rank of Brigadier General in WWI.  He served as assistant Sec of Treasury 1925-1927.

SOURCES

"Congressional Directory," www.govinfo.gov/

"Roy A. Haynes' Name Omitted From Congress "Who's Who," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., December 12, 1925, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

Roy Asa Haynes

Time Magazine

July 23 1923

"NEW YORK: MODEL CITY OF PROHIBITION ENFORCEMENT?"

MINISTERS PLEDGE TO HELP ENFORCE PROHIBITION

New York City (JFK+50) On January 23, 1922, 500 ministers representing a variety of congregations met at Madison Avenue Baptist Church here in New York City pledging "to help the government enforce prohibition in any possible legal way."

The delegates to the union prohibition meeting, according to the Tribune, "agreed to use all their moral, physical and spiritual forces" to help in stopping the sale of illegal liquor.

Prohibition Commissioner Roy A. Haynes*, a guest speaker at the meeting, said...

"We intend to make New York a model city in the way of enforcement."

JFK+50 NOTE

According to Mark Thornton of Cato Institute, as alcohol became more dangerous to consume (during the 1920s & early 1930s), "crime increased and became 'organized'."  Consumers switched to more dangerous opium, cocaine, etc. but alcohol consumption began increasing in 1922.  In fact, heightened enforcement "did not curtail consumption."  Thornton argues the 'noble experiment' was a failure.

As to Roy Haynes intention to make New York City "a model...in...enforcement," Esad Metjahic writes...

"It would be fair to say that New York City never truly accepted prohibition."  He argues that the 'City of Immigrants' never gave in to it because liquor was 'the only thing' that the people of a city as diverse as NY "had in common."

*Roy Asa Haynes (1881-1940) was editor of The Hillsboro (Ohio) Dispatch & advocate for the Anti-Saloon League.  RAH was appointed by President Harding as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Treasury in charge of prohibition enforcement.

SOURCES

"Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure," by Mark Thornton, July 17, 1991, CATO Institute, www.cato.org/

"500 Preachers Agree to Help Haynes Stop Rum Sales Here," The New York Tribune, January 24, 1922, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/ 

"Prohibition-era New York," History of New York City by Esad Metjahic, www.blogs.shu.edu/

 

 

Roy Asa Haynes

Time Magazine Cover

July 23 1923