Albuquerque citizen., 1908-04-03
PROHIBITION IS A
NATIONAL
SPECTER
Senate Would Like to Dodge
Question. But Is Unable
to Do SO Gracefully.

Washington. April 3.-Pressed by
senators from prohibition states. the
members of the upper house Of Con-
gresS are enjoying these days in any
thing except peace Of mind. The pro-
hibition question is being introduced
into the proceedings by certain sem
ators who face a struggle for re-
election in dry" states. These sem
ators are forcing the issue. They real
izc that they cannot go back home
with hope of returning to their seats
unless they are orthodox on the pro-
hibition question.
As result of this situation pro-
hibition with capital p is decidedly
live issue. The Senate committee
on the judiciary met today but balk-
ed at a decision II is to determine
between a majority report from a
subcommittee, which holds that reg
| ulation of shipments Of liquor into
prohibition states cannot be accom-
plished under the constitution, and a
| minority report holding that such
| proceeding can be undertaken. The
situation is ticklish one.
The measure is comprehensive
| one and is intended to govern the
| shipment of liquor into states or ter
| ritories the people Of which have
| voted against the sale of intoxicants.
The contention is made that manu-
facturers or distllers of intoxicants
cannot ship their products into such
states under the interstate commerce
law. Whenever liquor crosses a pro-
hibition state the authorities of such
state have no right to interfere with
it's passage, but when it stops within
| Of Gtl h..
tenders claim then the federal auth
ority ceases and the police powers
of the state itself may be exercised.
Senator Knox is one of these who
has contended that under the law
such exercise of police powers can
not be sustained. Senator Bacon. who
also is a member of the subcommit-
tee and leader on the minority re-
port to the whole committee, insists
that there is no Violation of the fed
era statutes. Bacon, however, is the
senior senator from Georgia, which
may account in some measure for the
Nehemence with which he defends
his position.
Senator Clay. who is BaCon'S col.
league, insists that he is going tC
; force members of the Senate to &C
! on record. He endeaVOred some time
ago to have the prohibition bill &C
through as a rider to the ocean ship
ping measure, but it failed at the las
moment This failure was due almos
| entirely to the fact that the prohibi
ton legislation was being considere,
" in committee, and the Senate did no
desire to interfere.
Republicans Are In n Box.
The remarkable feature of the sit
t uation lies in the fact that there arr
/ a number of Republican senators who
$ dare not oppose prohibition legisla
: tion. They dare not, either, appea
0 to balk in the slightest degree an!
e movement that seemingly has for it
object the elimination OF whisky anC
= kindred intoxicants from the schem,
r of things. If they did they would rea,
e their own political dead sentence.
$ The senators from Maine, Kansas
= Iowa, New Hampshire all Of then
| Republicans, must join hands will
- the Democratic senators i'm the fight
20 They cannot do otherwise. In addi
n ton, there are other members of tn
e Senate who come from states wher
h local option holds sway and wher
e the prohibition movement is goini
= steadily forward. These men are no
going to vote against complete pro
4 hibition, noting the trend of events
I |