Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1919-11-04
AID ABsURDUM

president OF the United States
with the crust to veto dry legislation
the days Is either fatally III or a
christian martyr. In either case his
reward is not Of this world and many,
10 doubt, win say that his reward l.
neither here nor there"
Ike the veto Of the repeal OF the
ia, light saving law, the latest veto
Of President Wilson shows how utterly
out Of touch he Is with the sentiments
of the American people. Easily two
thirds OF the people Of the United
states are hide-bound prohibitionists
and this number includes n big MI
iority Of those that could lap up their
share Of the merry mucilage In the
good old days. The direct representa-
lives Of the people now assembled in
con .ress at Washington, without re-
gard 10 party, know the wishes OF the
people aud passed the dry legislation
over the veto by more than the re-
unlred two-thirds and did II POGO
pronto.'
pue no doubt to his illness. the
president Is getting his arguments a
bit mixed. He tells the coal strikers
that the emergency Is not over and
that ne doesn't want them disturbing
Industrial conditions by demanding in
creased pay and then he yetoes the
dry legislation and states that the
emergency that made war time pro-
hlbition desirable has ceased to exist,
or words TO that effect. The leaders OF
the strikers were quick to pick the
flaw in the logic Of the professor AMI
throw IL back at him.
II may be granted that the legisla-
ton designed 10 put the constitutional
amendment into operation was befud-
died with the war time prohibition
act. as a scheme To keep the country
dry until the amendment should come
into force. But. then. the president
muddied the issue as regards the peace
treaty by weaving inextricably into II
the scheme Of league OF nations, TO
the end that the senate would have TO
swallow the whole thing. The ques-
ton is a moral and economic one: Do
the American people want booze under
any consideration ever again mixed
up in the business and politics Of the
country They do not. Hence the
end justifies the means
The outstanding feature Is very
clear President Wilson has and does
now favor the whiskey interests and
Is willing 20 go 20 bat for them with q
vast majority OF the people who have
expressed their will unequivocally at
the polls and through their representa-
tives. The veto is a startling common
tnry ON the state OF the president :
moral nature.
The matter resolves itself into 20
simple a proposition that II requires
40 college professor TO elucldate II TO
the man In the street To allow a
riot OF booze from now on TO the end
of the year Is To debauch the nation.
Notice for instance this little squib
from New York City correspondent:
People are peering in all directions
for some signs of the lifting OF the
lid for few months before prohibition
really goes into effect, the tenderlom
sports are now checking off the cal
endar day by day. Rumors and rumors
of rumors as to the length Of the con-
ing oasis are i'm circulation all over
town. Thus far, II appears that the
broadway rounder may have little
prospect Of any vacation from prohi-
bition before its real regime sets in
That doesn't need much explanation,
does Il? A bawdy house can't be run
successfully without booze, and the
other trimmings Of vice are as dust
IN the throat when the JOY water Is
taken away. How many souls would
have gone TO ruin in the saurnalia be-
tween now and the first OF the year,
But II Is also an economic question.
The president talks Of industrial
waste. How many millions OF dollars
and wasted hours and energy would
have gone into the big drunk
Now the president threatens TO de-
clare the emergency at an end and
thereby defeat the will OF the people
ms expressed through their representa-
tives. Such a threat Is an invitation
To hold up the peace treaty. without
the signing Of which the executive can
not act. and II opens up all the press
ing Industrial questions that await
the formal ending Of war for an an
swer But that doesn't seem TO worry
the president 50 long as he can help
his friends Of the bar"
All this agitation but helps to fix
the determination of those whose pur-
pose II Is to rid the country Of the
curse OF alcohol. Hope not even for n
brief wet spell and prepare for the
drought eternal TO come. Plans %
circumvent the presidents latest move
l..ro olroadv hsou diSanaaad