The Washington times., 1917-06-27
(From The New York Worldly
Is Personal Liberty to End?

fIonlDuon was tnat OF 1892, when, OF total of H.
100000 it numbered 264f33 With greatly in
creased population the vote last year, in total of more
than 100000, was only 1929. There is not
Congressional district in the United States that the Ma
tonal ProhbtoniSts can carry without the aid of some
other party.
If the meagre showing of the National Prohibit
tonsS in 1916 be explained the theory that the ques
ton was not an issue of the campaign we have the best
of reasons for the assertion that the House of Repre-
senativeS elected at that time had no popular mandate
to pass bill establishing National Prohibition.
There is vast difference in principle between Ma
tion-wde Prohibition of this description and the local
option which obtains in 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 cases the minority in one campaign may become
the majority at some future time.
Nationwide Prohibition, as it is usually urged, by
constitutional amendment is open to serious objection
the ground that once 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 as peStiferouS as any that ever
appeared at Washington the House of Representatives
exercised deSpotic powers without excuse. At one
stroke decreed the death of great industry wiped
out an immense property menaced more than million
of men with unemployment threatened the financial
systems of Nation, States and cities and, with Prussan
disregard of personal rights undertook by legislative
fiat alone to domineer and direct the habits and Gus
toms 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 perform
=. e. L.
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
ligous.
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 welsaared employees and that its
expenditures for the purpose of dragoonng Congress
men are large.
Let no one suppose that the present contest at
Washington is actually between religion and liquor.
What passes as religion here is the crafteSt kind of
politics. 1t is religion niSused in behalf of fanaticSm
and boSSiSm Involved in this conflict something of
importance for the moment and for all the years
to than any issue, however sharp, between total
abstinence and moderation, and that is the peoples
rights
In rough political fights such as we have here to
consider which some of the weIfnanced butonholerS
engaged in the Prohibition movement like to call oral
conflicts millions of industrious and virtuous people
whose elementary liberties asSaed never heard
FROM If Congress timdly abandons its true represen-
tatve functions and listens only to the voice of self
proclaimed righteousness up to its ears in politics, and
dirty politics. we the road to a mastery such as
no republic can survive
In war, as in peace, the peoples rights are par
amount The peoples right to live their own orderly
lives unvexed by meddlers setting up preposterous
claims to superior Sanctity and wisdom has never be-
fore been challenged is today in the very citadel of
democracy. Republic that is to make the world free
for democracy must not be sraitjacketed. 1t will not
be Strait-jacketed.
If the time ever comes when morality in the United
States must depend upon the work at Washington of
pretentious lobby, pious and paid the Declaration and
the Constitution will have been written in vain.