Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-10-29
PROHIBITION ISSUE A BOOMERANG

So strongly have the Democrats been appealing to the sa-
loon element in the present campaign that it begins to look as if
the agitation in favor of booze has got beyond their control.
The liquor interests, seeing in the platform of the Democratic
party their one last hope, have grasped at it ravenously and
have literally run away with it.
The result is that now, in the last week of the campaign,
the Democratic candidates find themselves entirely on the de-
fensive, insisting that they will do nothing to nu1ify the Con-
stituton of the United States and that they are absolutely loyal
in every respect.
An attempt is made to emphasize the phrase "by all lawful
means, - used in the plank in the Democratic platform that re-
fers to prohibition.
This particular plank in the Democratic platform reads
as follows:
w pledge ourselves to oppose, by all lawful means, the
ratification or enforcement of the so-caled Prohibition Amend
ment of the Federal Constitution"
AS far as opposing the ratification of the amendment is
concerned, that is already settled. New Jersey is now on rec
ord as having definitely rejected the amendment. But the fact
that forty-fve other states of the Union did ratfy the amend
ment makes it a part of the Constitution regardless of the atti-
tude of New Jersey.
As for opposing the enforcement of the amendment. that
is an entirely different matter. 1t is here where the Demo-
cratic party invites trouble for itself and makes it impossible
for law-abiding citizens, who believe in unfolding the Consti-
tuition, to support the Democratic candidates.
1t is significant that in one of the advertisements put out
by the Democratic party under the caption, "Regarding prohi-
bition, ;" what is %purported to be a direct quotation from this
clause of the Democratic platform omits the words cor en-
forcement' from the plank.
1t looks as if the Democratic campaign managers have
Just awakened to the fact that they have been playing with
fire in their eagerness to make ignorant and thirsty voters be-
heve that should Edwards be elected governor, he could pre-
vent the United States government enforcing its Constitu-
ton and laws.
Perhaps the way the Democratic candidate for governor
proposes to oppose the enforcement of the law and the Con
stItuhon In regard to prohibition is to be found in the COM
munication which the EVENING NEWS has received from the
so-caned Association Opposed to National Prohibition" This
more or less mysterious organization, the personnel of which is
not made public, is ardently supporting Edwards for governor,
flooding the state with letters to the effect that the way to keep
New Jersey wet is to vote for the Democratic candidate.
In this letter, which is an answer to an EVENING NEWSl
editorial, 1t is brought out that the liquor interests expect Ed
wards, should he be elected, to place on the bench and in the
prosecutors efces men who will deliberately violate their oath
OF office on the ground of being liberal"
According to this answer, a 'liberal' man on the bench
or as prosecutor Is to respect his own ideas of what he may call
human rights" before he respects the law and the Consttu-
ton of the country.
In other words, the Democratic program for keeping New
Jersey wet is TO elect a man governor who will see to it that
Judges and prosecutors are named who will protect the "speal-
easies" and ~"blindpigs' and defy the federal authorities to
close them.
With such a campaign going on all over the state, no Won
DER the respectable element in the Democratic party is becom-
ing alarmed at the turn the campaign has taken. In these nre-
carlous days when loyalty is the first consideration the prohi-
pltlon issue becomes secondary. People, whether thew like the
prohibition amendment or not, will vote against Edwards if for
no other reason than to show that they are first of all for Amer
lea and the Constitution.