El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-10-29
PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS ACT
QUICKLY; LIQUOR FIGHT GOES ON.

THE presidents repeal OF the prohibition enforcement
bin was not more surprising than the exceedingly
prompt action Of congress passing the bill his veto
President Wilson understood to be somewhat opposed
70 the enforcement Of the wartime prohibition act aftel
the condition Of actual warfare had been terminated by
the signing Of the ace but be was not expected TO 60
the length Of vetong prohibition enforcement bin
though did incidentally, give teeth to the wartime pro
Mhtou Dill Rather be expected 70 let the enforce
bin become law without his signature, favorte way
Of executives for dealing with legislation which they %
not altogether approve but DO not care 10 veto,
But il transpiTed that president Wilson locked upon
the further enforcement Of wartime prohibition With such
dsaTor that preferred TO veto the enforcement b N
its entirety stating that the objects Of wartime prohibit
ton had been satisfied "and that sound public policy
makes clear the and necessity for its repeal
The presidents action the surprising because
the Bill had been IN his hands for some days and nothing
had heard Of his contemplating any action whatever
it. silence Of the white house complete not
vithstsndng that influential journals openly
had president congress Of lodging Tspon-
sibity each trying 70 make the other do something
the subject wartime prohibition These asssans must
have been taken back quite considerably when informed
that M Wilson had taken the bit in his teeth and vetoed
the enforcement bill
Some confusion has existed in the public mind about
this bill Il merely provides means rules and regulations
for the enforcement Of wartime prohibition and the
orcemeut Of prohibition under the 18th amendment 10 the
constitution Of the United States, which amendment is to
80 into effect next January.
As TO the prohibition amendment the "wetss have by
means lost hope Of knocking It in the head It
there q states IN which the people VIII vote
November for or against prohibition New York cty
Is notably antagonisc to prohonor at least some Of
ITS influential newspapers 50 proclaim Ihey declare New
York New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island people
simply itching for chance to express themselves
the polls the liquor issue.
The "wets pin their faith to these z states If the
vote against prohibition IN all z most Of them, the
fight VIII be carried to the supreme court Of the United
States II effort to block the amendment, the
ground that the legislatures Of the states in Tsng the
amendment had right TO do until the VIII Of the
voters had been registered OF this, the New York Her
aid says editorialys
Should a majority OF these u states take the
attitude that this is q question for the people to
decide there be little doubt but that the su-
preme court Of the United States would regard
the verdict that it could not afford 70
ignore especially in view Of the other fact that
: certain states the vote of the people against
ratification Of the amendment reversed BY
the legislatures
The situation Is simple Just the
founders Of this republic objected not 20 tax
alton, but to taxation without representation,
citizens object, not TO prohibition but TO prohibi-
sion that has been brought about-legally OF IL
legally, as it remains TO be seen-withOut the con
sent Of the people Of the country
Patiently, the @Fets" drowning men graspng at
straw. Like all sravs It is very fragile very light, and
most unlikely to give them any support But they
chnging to i, anyaoW.
IN the meantime whatever hopes may have been raised
for the open and sale liquor during the
holidays result Of the presidents Of the enforce
ment BILL which veto would have carried with it the nui
feation Of the wartime prohibition act those hopes