The Washington herald., 1917-06-28
CORRECT THE MISTAKE
(From The New York WorId.)
Is Personal Liberty to End

Prohibition was that of 1892, when. of total of
100000, it numbered 264.I33. With greatly IN
creased population the vote last year. in total of more
than 100000 was only 22I .329 There is not
Congressional district in the United States that the Ma
tona Prohbitonists cen carry without the aid of some
other parts.
IF the meager sho5aing of the National Prohibition
ISIS in 1916 be explained on the theory that the ques
ton not an issue of the campaign we have the best
of reasons for the assertion that the House Of Repre-
senativcs elected at that time had popular mandate
to pass bill establishing National Prohibition.
There is vast difference in principle between Ma
don-wide Prohibition of this description and the local
option which obtains many States. counties and cities
Local option at least consults the wishes of the people
concerned All have opportunity to be heard, and in
most the minority in one campaign may become
the majority at future time.
Nationwide Prohibition. as it is usually urged, by
constitutional amendment is open to serious objection
the ground that effected small minority of
States would forever possess the power to veto the
wishes of great majority of States to reverse policy
regretted
In this present instance. acting chiefly under the
influence of lobby pes6ferous any that ever
appeared at Washington. the House of Representatives
exercised despoic powers without excuse At one stroke
it decreed the death of great industry wiped an
immense property, menaced more than million Of
with unemployment threatened the financial systems Of
Nation States and cities and with Pussan disregard of
personal rights undertook by legislative fiat alone to
domineer and direct the habits and customs of free
people.
Contempt of popular rights and the mischievous
confusion of governmental affairs at time when every
energy should be bent upon the prosecution Of the
are not the only alarming phases of this performance
More sinister than these the papable fact that by this
legislation the House of Representatives yielded weakly
and almost unanimously to a lobby maintained for the
most part by organizations pretending to be religious
We do not know what this lobby does with all of
its money but we do know that boasts of its rich COL
lections and of its we-saaried employees and that its
expenditures for the purpose of dagooning Congress
large.
Let no one suppose that the present contest at
Washington is actually between religion and liquor,
What passes as religion here the crafest kind of pol
tics 1t is religion misused in behalf Of fana6cism and
bossism Involved in this conflict something of more
Importance for the moment and for all the years to
come than any ISSUE however sharp between total alb
stnence and moderation and that is the peoples rights
In rough political fights such as we have here to
consider which some of the wel-hnanced buttonhoers
engaged in the Prohibition movement like to call moral
conflicts millions of industrious and Wrtuous people
whose elementary liberties are assaied heard
from If Congress mdy abandons its true representa-
tive functions and listens only the voice of sepro-
claimed righteousness, up to its in politics, and
dirty politics. we are on the road mastery such as
no republic can survive
In war; as in peace the peoples rights para
mount The peoples right to live their own orderly
lives unvexed by medders setting up preposterous claims
to superior sanctity and wisdom has before been
challenged is today in the very citadel Of democracy.
republic that is make the world free for democracy
must not be srait-jacketed 1t Will not be strait
jacketed