Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-15


ment, but that at the general cleo
tions it will urge Republicans to-
stand by the result of the primaries,
whatever they may be, because of
the many other vital problems with
which the Legislature will be con-
fronted. The GaZette-Times endorses
no one candidate for Governor, but
it expresses the hope that this state
will be "one of first to give approval
to the amendment"
The Editorial
The editorial is in full as follows:
For long The Gazette Times, ut
terly out of sympathy with the liquor
traffic, has consistently held to the
view that the prohibition question
is one to be settled by each state in
accordance with the popular will in
the state. 1t has looked with alarm
upon the constant tendency of the
federal government to encroach upon
the domain of state legislation, and
it has felt that it should not be pos
sible, as the trainers of the Consti-
tuition never contemplated that it
should be possible, for the police
policy of any state, adopted to meet
local conditions and sentiments, to
be forced upon another state unwill-
ing that its conceptions of proper
governmental regulations be over
ruled from without. 1t still adheres
to this view in principle. But the
growth of sentiment in favor of pro-
hibition has been so marked
throughout the country; so many
states have adopted prohibition; re-
strictive laws have had such wide
expansion; federal legislation has so
uniformly supported the efforts of
the states, being upheld in all cases
by the Supreme Court; Congress has
taken such cogniZance of the evils
of liquor, notably in forbidding the
sale of intoxicants to soldiers in uni
form, in forbidding the manufac-
ture of spirits during the war, in
ordering the alcohol contents of beer
reduced and in limiting the amount
of grains that may be manufactured
into beer; all these acts receiving the
tacit, If not the enthusiastic, ap-
proval of the whole country, that it
is apparent prohibition is in a class
by itself as respects police policy.
And Congress having, in response to
undcniable demand, submitted the
question to the states, it should be
disposed of to the best interest of
the country as whole. The Gazette
Times, is therefore, of opinion that
the amendment should be ratified
and the liquor traffic abolished.
1T will be proud distinction for
Pennsylvania If this great common
wealth shall be among the first to
give approval to the amendment.
Our people are not privileged to vote
directly on the subject, but their
sentiments can be expressed very ac-
curately in the choice of candidates
for the State Senate and House of
Representatives to be elected this
year. In the coming primaries,
therefore, The Gazette-Times will
support candidates for the Senate
and House pledged in favor of the
gives warning. however, that this
question should be fought out at the
primaries. Our legislators will be
called upon to decide other questions
of great import, and it is of supreme
Importance that this great Repub-
lican state should choose legislators
/ who will give adherence to the prin-
ciples of the Republican party.
While, therefore, The Gazette-Times
will support for nomination at the
primaries all legislative candidates
pledged to the amendment, at the
general election it will advise all Re-
publicans to abide by the result of
the primaries and to vote for the
nominees of the Republican party.
All friends of the amendment
should therefore get busy before the
primaries, not after. We are con-
fident that If this is done prohibition
will carry in Pennsylvania, and
without detriment to any state in
terests.'