The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1919-03-14


excerpts are from his address,:
"W Y. Hirsh," IN which it was said
still another method to arouse the
public is to call mass meetings. Let
the people know that docile submis-
sion to national Prohibition will in
cyitably make them the victims OF all
the puritanical laws the militant
church can jam down our throats."
On January II in an editorial under
the title. "The Lynching of Jefferson
ISM" the World said
an supporting this amendment the
south has wrecked the whole structure
of state rights, obliterated the police
| powers of the states. without which
they have no political excuse for ex-
istence and destroyed the personal lib
erty which has hitherto been a bull
wark of American freedom"
On January 10 in an editorial head
ed, moral Forces That Are Immor-
all the World condemned the Even
ing Post for urging that good citizen
ship now requires unquestioning ODE
dience' to laws that may be enacted
to carry out the Prohibition amend
ment it is said:
National Prohibition is not a peo-
pies achievement, but politicians
achievement. 1t was put through by
professional politicians who believed
that the Prohibition lobby and the So
called church vote, organized by that
lobby, held the balance of power, and
that it was part OF political wisdom to
submit. Back of it all, OF course, were
certain great corporation and financial
interests that were convinced that la
Dor could be made more profitable and
productive if put on Prohibition ba-
sis, and these interests, looking 40 diyi-
dends, helped to finance the move
! ment.
"The vast majority of the members
OF Congress and OF state legislatures
who have written this amendment into
the constitution do not practice Prohi-
bition themselves and do not believe
in it for themselves. They lent them
selves to the lobby to protect their
own political skins, but for the most
part they are towards and hypocrites
and know they are towards and hypo-
critics.
1.-THE fac5 Of the matter is that the
! Prohibition amendment has been car
rie1 through in defiance Of the funda-
meltal principles OF the American re.
pubic and in defiance also of all the
political traditions of the American
people. The lobby bent all its ener-
sizes 10 the work of ratification because
il did not dare wait until the troops
had returned home from France and
the American people had had an op-
portunity to consider the question
calmly and deliberately. II was SNAP
proceeding, and in spite of all the
bleating about moral forces, the ac-
ton has no moral status whatever, be-
cause it is at war with all true political
morality. which gives due considers
ton to the rights of both majorties
and minorities.
There have been many shameful
chapters in American history. but nc
other chapter which was written in
such infamous disregard OF the spirit
of American institutions"
Inciting Anarchy
Such words and sentiments spoken
by poor, starving, struggling, humble
citizen against some law he doesn't
like would be denounced by the World
as melting revolution and anarchy
How much more dangerous and mex
cusable are they when uttered by a
great, powerful and educated leader OF
American thought. In this paper and
in others of high standing, under
large headlines, are published all sorts
of stories regarding these measures
We are told that this law and this
amendment are to be annulIed in one