Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1918-01-24
Editorial Baltimore News, Jauu-
airy IL:
Why Was A Period For DeIiber-
alton vouchsafed ~ II Is
Not TO be Used2

The effort made in the State Sen
ate on Thursday to rush ratification
OF the Federal prohibition amend
ment through by q surprise attach
depended for its success on the sup
port Of Senator Duvall Of Anne
Arundel. Eighteen votes were need
cd to suspend the rules. Senator
Dnyall was the eighteenth. He
very properly withheld ii, with the
remark. Il will vote for the
amendment at the proper time, but
this is not the time"
Primarily, his position seems TO
be that the Legislature shoald be
given opportunity 70 discuss the
matter. The question arises wheth-
er Senator Duvall Is not strainina
at Rnat while swallowing camel.
For the sake of the prophecies he
would safeguard the resolution
against undeliberated passage BIZ
this Legislature He overloolSs the
fact that il this Legislature pass il,
il viii only be in refusal to lea the
publio deliberate upon II
Must the proper time, il Senator
Dnyall's opinion, come within the
next ninety DAYS, shutting oai the
pubIio's natural right to have Is
wishes on 50 important subject
tested Al the polIsY II 50, are al
States under the same obligation a.
Maryland to act At ouccg And IL
this is 50. why does the amendment
resolution provide for seven years
Of gracey The contrast between
this term and ninety days i not IN
significant.
There il a bare chance, indeed.
that too hasly az Endorsement hy
this State would require a scoeud
vote being taken There j. strong
protest against the wording u tie
resolution not raised By the vets
or based on hope Of defeating the
amendment but by friends aud foes
alike atd based on a desire to pro-
lsct the Constitution Of the United
States from snakes. An through
the Constitution rams one principle
that Jurisdiction mnst be- wasted
either in the Federal Govcrnmsst o.
Ia the State governments. a BIO %
careless phraseoloRy IN This amend
ment upse,s that principle. II would
give the Federal Government and
State governments concurrent aulh.
ority 70 enforce prohibition. II would
deny PRECEDENCE 10 the statutes Of
either There Is 80 other clause IN
the Constitution the like Of this.
why, when MARYLAND has seven
years in which 20 assent to national
prohibition, should il Al least not
give the Maryland Bar chance to
join with those Of other Staics IN
protesting against allowing such !.
promise Of diseord and confusion 70
creep into the nations organic law
uncorrectedf
The second reason for waiting is
equally fundamental ba, popular,
not legal, prevailing not only in
Maryland, but in every State. For
Kentucky, the Lonisviilo Courier
journal sums il up thus.
For the people oi Kentucky have had
no chance TO declare themselves by
their votes on the question Of nation
vide prohibition The resolution for
the submission Of the national amend
ment was passed by Congress nearly
year after tho election OF the present
Kentucky Legislature. II this LeRis.
lature votes either for or against lie
ratification OF the national ansnd.
mcnt, Il may vote tho sentiments Of It's
individual members, but Il has no
warrant Tor voting the sentiment Of
the people AZ large The people At
large have not committed themselves
as yet on the question OF the national
amendment.
The very least that even the most
radical Of the prohibitionists could do
e. II they were at oil consistent or were
disposed 10 be fair would be to await
action on the national amendment by
Legislature elected by the people
with the question OF the national
amendment before them,
Is there any flaw that any man,
whatever his proclivities on the liq-
nor issue, can find in the fairness Of