The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-08-15
HIGH TIDE OF SENTIMENT.


the constitution will become a deac
letter in all the states in which public
opinion is against it."
3. AN amendment that has never
won a victory at the polls in any ma
tional election, that no great party has
ever adopted, to which no successful
candidate for the presidency was ever
pledged in the whole history OF the
country
The above are excerpts from the
New York World and pretty we'll ex
press the arguments of those people
of the wet" states who oppose the
amendment just passed by the United
States senate by vote exceeding
the necessary two-thirds. And that
opposition, in our humble opinion, will
have to show up something stronger
when the test comes, as it will.
|. OF course the New York World
doesn't know what the votes OF the
American people would do. No longer
ago than November last, it had to flop
from what it said those votes hao
done, and fzzle as a recorder OF
facts must expect derision when as
Stunning the role of prophet. But the
voters of America have never had a
fair chance at nationwide prohibition
as the dominant issue. There has
long been a prohibition party, but, al
ways, the leaders of the greater par
ties have made other issues dOmin-
ant. This may be impossible, how
ever, in the next national campaign.
The old parties may be out of import
ant issues, and % of the states have
become dry"
2. 1t is pretty serious matter,
not to say vicious and fatal attack
upon our theory of national democ-
racy, to confess that the people of
any state can and will nullify the
constitution, and be permitted to do
it by the federal government. At
any rate, it is not good argument
against amendment of our plan OF
national government at behest OF the
governed. If we are not governed
with the consent Of and in accord
with the will of the governed, our
form Of government is a failure. II
a state can nullify the constitution,
we are not a republic but an anarchy.
So, we had better 60 ahead on the
basis that fundamental national law
is law for everybody in the nation,
and enforce that law.
3. All true Prohibition has never
won national victory, no great party
has ever adopted it as it's issue, no
successful candidate for the presi-
dency has ever pledged himself to it.
The great parties and their NOM
'fIees have been able, heretofore, to
dodge, and dodge they have, collec
lively and individually. Win they be
able to continue lodging in safety is
the question.
The present state of sentiment to-
ward Intoxicating drink has never be-
fore been approached in all the his
tory of man. All over the world,
Mars has got John Bal leycorn down
and is conscientiously punching the
hypocrisy, brutality and other stutting
out of him. War has poured flood
of objection upon the traffic that
sweeps clear around the world. Over
half of the American states are dry"
TO the American vote have been add
ed new millions-women, dry" dead
ly dry" Hundreds of thousands of
young men are to De In the camps,
with almost every one of their fami-
lies praying that they cannot get at
liquor, and the government is openly
doing its best to grant those prayers
There are thousands of voters who
never helped vote community "dry"
but who do see a cure in a constitu-
tional amendment.
This is the condition, and no reader,
wet" or dry" can blind himself to
it. With what other issue, what other
broom will any party, great or small,
sweep back this ocean of sentiment?
No, unless there be mighty and won
derful changes, John Barleycorn is
going into the dock as the greatest of
national malefactors, stripped of his
disguise as rather sociable, rather
excusable, rather profitable fellow,
who: at worst, merely picks pocket
here and there.