The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1919-11-11
THE PRESIDENT AND THE LAW
tPhlladelphia North Amerieanl

I the white HOUSE managed 70 delay
consideration until the end Of August.
The president won for the LIQUOR traf.
nc, moreover. six month"; Lease u
NE; for while was over
wheimingly FOR making The country
dry on January 4. 1919. he pleaded
for postponement until a year Later,
/ and the result WAS the compromise
date Of July 4, 1919.
Mr.. Wilson's cngerness 20 prolon9
the existence OF the liquor trniiic was
So well known that until the eleventh
hour q reprieye from him was expect
ed by the rumsellers. lie had even
cnbiod from Paris an Urgent plea for
I repeal Of the law. They were greatly
disappointed. therefore. whe he sent
word from Paris on June - that he
could not iift the ban mill demohi-
iizatlon had been compicted. But he
added the extraordinary assurance
that at that time my power TO act
without congressional action will be
exercised" In effect this was notice
from the PRECEDENT or the United
States that enforcement or the law
would be lax, and the result was seen
In the continuance OF liquor selling
2.75 per cent OF alcohol, and virtual
paralysis OF the work Of enforcing The
statute.
Every administration influence was
employed to delay enactment Of
forcing legislation, but the drastic
measure passed the house on Juiy 20
last, by a vote Of 2N1 to zoe, intOxI-
eating liquors being DEFINED as those
containing more than one-haif Of I
per rent Of ALCOHOL. II went through
the senate without n record vote bnt
on the only test the chamber stood
IS 10 II In iis favor. The law was 10
become effective on October rs, ana
the liquor Interests formally announc-
ed that they would obey II absolutely.
They were simply nstounded when the
president on the previous day vetoed
the act.
In o n and substance his message
was one OF the most remarkable state
papers issued under The unusual adj
ministration. The presidents avowed
position was that he would not assent
to enforcement Of wartime prohibi-
ton because he did NOT approve ~
the original act and had asked It's
4 repeal. aud because the emergencies
which necessitated Il had passed.
We doubt whether 50 many fa'-
lacies and misrepresentation were
ever compressed into SO small a COM
pass. The intimation. for example.
hat Mr.. Wilson objects 10 the bill be-
the war emergencies have dis
appeared recalls that he fought pro-
hibitlon just a. bitterly wnen n
emergencies existed. Moreover, while
urging In this case that war condl-
lions no longer prevail, only two days
before he had admonishcd the miners
that those conditions are stiii here.
II il true that he had pleaded for
repeal Of the prohibition law. hut u
Is no less true hat congress rejected
his appeal and passed the legislation.
The most vicious feature Of his pn-
sition. however. was that his veto
. aAWaN - 80 N- .aAm LM...A NAA
original law. had his action be m
sustained, the only result would have
been 20 paraiyze the machinery Of
enforcement while leaving The act on
the statute books. In other words.
he undertook To create a situation In
which a law OF the United States
would become a mockery, with vfo-
lations not only made safe. but ac-
tually invited. by elimination OF the
means OF enforcement and by proc
lamatlon from the chief executive
that his department would make NJ
attempt to apply the provisions.
The sworn duty Of the president.
under the constitution. Is to execute
the laws as he finds them or as they
ma be passed during his term, re-
gardless OF his personal opinions. The
war prohibition aw was passed In dul
form. and was signed hy him on No
vember ~. 1915. IIe urged It's repeal,
hu; congress dccrecd that II should
stand. whereupon h became an Inn
pcrative obligation Tor him to enforce
u. with the means provided In tho
supplementary legislation. Instead Gi
doing SO. he made the extraordinary
assertion that the law should not be
applied because he objects to Il. an
undertook to wreck the enforcement
machinery. thereby r"epudiating hi.
constitutional duty. bringing the law
into contempt. and inviting violations
OF u.
such an attitude on the part Of tn,
, chief executive is indefensible. II Z,
within the power ~ President Wilsou
to end war prohibition at any time
for IL was 10 continue only until de.
mobilization was completed and pro,
claimed hy him. "Whcn mobilization
Is terminated" he announced IL
! June, my power TO act without con
gresslonal action Will ne exercised
] and rehabilitation waS completed
responsibility Of flooding the countr,
once more with liquor, he adopts IN,
/, device ~ letting the law stand Will,
preventing enforcement of H. II b
[ not remarkable hat ven the bitter
est foes Of prohibition scqrn his man
Q euver. The issue" says Senator I'm
derwood. pro-lipuor democrat. lis NJ
one Of prohibition. hut Of enforclni
the law. / am opposed To both war
time and constitutional prohibition
70 bur SO Iong as laws hat affect theu
: exist ! strongly favor their enforce
= ment.' senator pcnrose u cqualil
/ -c1ntemptuous The view OF prohlhi
70 %tionists has been expressed by VIII
lam ". Anderson;
In this time Of unrest. OF denanc.
? % law. Of violation OF contracts an.
e pledged faith, u Is deplarahle TO FIN
O. the president charged with the dur