The Washington times., 1913-02-08
THE LIQUOR TRANSPORTATION BILL.

Ii is Of the commoneSt knowledge that politca
cowardice has been the one and sole reason VIII.
there has not been passed, long before this, meas
ure prohibiting shipments of liquor from wet init
dry" territory.
The fight for such legislation has been going OF
for many years. The old Wilson bill, the Dolliver
Hepburn measure, the Kenyon-Sheppard bill, th'
Webb draft-all look to the same general purpose
of making the laws of State enforceable. There
is absolutely no legitimate argument against sucf
measure.
DRY" communities are dry" for reasons amply
satisfactory to themselves. For the Federal Gov
eminent to stand by and impose interstate commerce
restrictions which have the effect of nullifying .
States law, is just wrong in principle as was the
sort of notification that Calhoun attempted to sus
tain Only the boot is the other leg, it is the
Federal Government nullfyng the States laws, in
stead of State denying the enforceability of the
Federal law.
The Judiciary Committee of the House has had
the Webb and other bills on this subject under con-
sideration for an unconsciously long time. They
have been opposed by the allied liquor interests Of
the country, simply because they looked to making
effective the ant-quor statutes of local jursdic-
tons. There ought never to have been days hesi-
taton about passing sucn measure. Yet the liquor
forces have been powerful enough to hold up this
legislation for years.
Last session-the long session--t became known
early that no such measure was to be reported. 1t
was common report that this determination repre-
sented the purpose of the dominating powers of the
House, and that Presidential politics played no un-
important part in committing them to this course.
The garrote applied, not only numerically but
with a boldnesS and frankness as to motive that
made the performance peculiarly opprobrious.
Throughout the present session the choker has
continued in application until few days ago, when
the Webb bill forced out; not on its merits, not
because it was good bill that deserved cnance,
but by dint of log-rolling deal in which the sup
porters of the workmen's compensation measure and
those of the Webb bill made common cause and
forced both bills to the House floor. In passing it
is worth mentioning that this method of getting leg
slaton reported is just a bare trifle more credit
able than the procedure of asphyxiation.
But at any rate both bills have finally been re-
ported and there is terror among Congressman who
have desired nothing more than that they be saved
from the necessity of making record on the SUBJ
ect 1t is useless for them to try to avoid the issue
Postponement can only make it tine more difficult
when the issue must be met; it will arouse an in
tensity of hostility both sides, that will add to
the difficulties of men who now find themselves
urged in both directions.
There is only one way to decide such question
as this and that is tine right way. The right, the
morals, the plain sense the real service to the pub
lic and finally the good politics, all lie the side
of supporting a measure such as the Webb bill
Whether that particular form is the most desirable
is not the question here Such legislation is neces-
sary and is going to pass To hold it up longer will
cause good deal larger casualty list the political
GeId than tn have cOurape and mass II
Nobody doubts what will happen if vote is
reached The bill will pass by overwhelming vote
Men may dodge the compusion that forces them to
do right but wnen they must stand out in plain sight
of the whole community and cast record vote, most
Of them prefer to vote on the right side They will
do it in this case.