South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-01-14
JANUARY a., 1910.
sEN. ~HAGERTY,s sWITCH.

Sen. Charles A. Hagerty may be satisfied in his in
tehigence and conscience, with his address on the
federal prohibition amendment before the state SEN
ate, but such adherence to the old doctrine Of state
right and personal liberty are too well recognized as
excuses. rather than reasons. TO be very highly accep
tble to the intelligent masses. Personal liberty has
been the camouhage of the brewery interests too long.
and state rights a convenient by-pIay for evasions Of
national rights. TO be taken seriously 5y anyone save
those who play at such game. The senator appears to
have been able, or We viii give him the credit. of drag
sfng along with him six votes out Of forty-seven cast
on the amendment and he is welcome to all the glory
that he can get out Of it.
Sen. Hagerty voted for the state prohibition law two
years ago. It was by a sort of nth hour repentance
that ne did so, but ne did. and his sincerity might have
been pretty well established on the point, had he stood
by his guns. OF course, it earned for him the strenuous
enmity Of some old friends. He may think as he is said
10 have remarked, that the liquor traffic is coming
back. and in consequence ne may desire to accumulate
its good graces. but we doubt his being a seventh son
OF a seventh son. or his having been born with a veil.
on the contrary, the liquor traffic is doomed, and
doomed forever. Nothing save the like of the boIshe-
wiki Of Russia. that has resurrected vodka to mAintain
its lood-thirstiness. can ever revive it.
Voting against prohibition now. is voting directly for
the greatest and most effective pro-German force that
has cursed America throughout all the years. 1t stands
right up close to the German battle line, and while
Germany. ravishinG Belgium. France. and sections
on the eastern front. has slain her thousands, the liquor
traffic has slain its tens Of thousands. John Bright.
once said:
The ravases Of the liquor trade have slain,
starved. ruined. more men. women and chill
dren. than all the ravages Of war. famine and
pestlence combined
and though he said il long before the world war began.
the proposition stin holds good.
1t is poison in the blood and madness in
the brain Of our national lfe."-
said Daniel Webster. and Webster is reputed to have
tad reason to know. rendering his confession good.
even better than had he sought to excuse or apologize
for the curse with which he was AFFLICTED. Indiana.
Sen. Hagerty's state rights and personal liberty"
pleas Notwithstanding, will step into the column of
states confirming the national amendment. recognizing
the verdicts above quoted, and the senator will be
forgotten as among those, too blind TO see. or too duh
to care.
We regret the senator's action very much. He is a
young man with more of a future before him than he
las behind him. Crediting him to the fun for SINGER
ity in his action. and his words. we are still unable to
comprehend the brand Of reasoning upon which his
sincerity is based-and accordingly we pass it up as
one Of those peculiar ramidcations of human thought
that heaven sometimes exhibits TO demonstrate that
that heaven sometimes exhibits to demonstrate that
We predict that sen. Hagerty will live to regret,
at least see the poor wisdom of his action.