New-York tribune., 1919-02-24
Warming Letter Addressed
TO State L Legislators
Urging Enforcing of Law
Aims at the Republicans
Asserts Favorable Vote on
10 Per Cent Bill VIII Give
Vets Chance They Want

Warnings Of political annihilation
and hight to the finish if an attempt is
: made to put through a bill which
would legalize the manufacture and
sale of beer and light wines in this
State are contained in a letter sent to
the members of the State Legislature
by William II. Anderson, state super
intendent of the AntiSaloon League
The letter is directed particularly to
the Republican members of the legisla-
tive body. They are warned that, since
1t was their party which brought about
ratification of the prohibition amend
ment in this State, it would be "polit-
F ically foolish" to sidestep actual pro-
hibtion
the letter that "the Republican party
has been condemned to defeat. ana
every one of you who voted for ratifi-
cation has been marked for slaughter
by the dlstlllers, saloonkeepers, hotel
interests. wet newspapers, brewers and
what is left of the pro-German in1u-
ence. together with all Bolshevik and
/. w. w. forces. If prohibitio be-
comes effective the revenue of these
- NNtS oIi, thSli pOllJlCAi power Is
broken. and the recruiting stations of
the disturbers will be closed"
Calls for Political Sagacitv
lntimating that the only way the Re-
publicans who voted for ratification can
save their political heads IS by carry
ing prohibition all the way through,
the writer asked:
rs not this question important
enough to call for the exercise of
little political sagacity as we'll as goci
faith? If the Republican party helps
create or even acquiesces in a situation
which may conceivably allow the LIQUOR
traffic to continue while certain legal
questions are being settled by the
courts. 1t will keep up the revenue of
the traffic and all its alliances, now the
sworn enemies of the Republican party,
End will keep open these recruiting sta
tlons and storm centres, from which
efforts will be made to kill off politi-
cGlly every man who stood for ratif-
cation.
"A fundamental issue su,h as The
ratification of the prohibition amen l.
ment which New York would have tc
obey anyhow, offered no room Gov
change or adjustment. A legislator
had to be for or against It. just as It
Was. But a bill to carry into effect The
amendment is an entirely different
question.
Notification Fighting Question
Qualification is a fighting question.
There can be no compromise on the
, issue of whether the spirit of the Con-
stitution shall be observed. The mem
hers OF the Legislature are sworn to
uphold the Constitution of the United
states. If by violation of that oath,
through open aid of nullifcation or
passive connivance at it, the members
of the New York Legislature invite
disorder by catering to the lawless
clement, they must bear the respon-
sibility for the results of such NAL
feasance in office"
Mr.. Anderson declared that the only
thing the Republicans can do, "consis-
tent with even elementary political
intelligence is pass an enforcement
measure and then put it up to Cover
nor Smith, a Democrat.
"lf he signs it he divides the re-
Sponsi bilty," the letter pointed out,
and the question ceases to be party
issue. If he vetoes it, then he and his
party become responsible for attempted
notification and the consequences
there Of, and he puts himself at odds
with his party nationally"