The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-05-25
DRY Lid NOT PUT
ON IN RIGHT WAY
PASSAGE PROHIBITION ACT At
Tackled BY MARSHALL. NOT
REPRESENTATIVE RULE.

Vice President Thomas r. Marshall
has presided over the senate OF the
United States for seven years and
can be, therefore, expected to know
whereof he speaks when he says II
prohibition had been submitted to a
secret vote it would not have gotten
twenty votes in the senate, writes
David Lawrence, the well-known
Washington correspondent. / asked
the vice president regarding MS state
ment, which was made originally be-
fore the Virginia Bar Association.
81 want it to be understood at the
outset" said Vice President Marshall,
"that | believe in the enforcement
of the constitutional amendment ON
prohibition. 1t is here, and the law
should be enforced. But | believe
that if the amendment had been vot--
ed upon according to the individual
convictions of members of the sem
ate it would not have gotten twenty
votes.
'Now / am not imputing motives TO
ANYBODY. | have never seen any
representatives of the brewers or the
Anti-Saloon league around congress
and would not know them if they
were there. / believe that the men
who voted for prohibition and for
woman suffrage, for instance though
the people-a majority OF their con-
stituents-wanted these amendments
passed-but it isn't my theory OF rep
resentative government.
What People Intended.
Gas | told the lawyers at Rich
mond, the people of this country did
not intend, in my Judgment, that their
be guided by their
constituents, but the elected repre-
sentatives should act for them.
don't think people hire lawyer that
they should ask him to do what tney
want. Advice should not come from
the client to the lawyer, but from the
lawyer to the client. If the client
doesn't like the advice, he can get
another lawyer.
"That's the same with representa-
tive government. The people, in my
opinion. should trust their represent
atives to act for them. If they don't
like what their representatives do,
thew can select others and thus re-
pudiate what has been done"
"Then if you had been member
of the senate you would have voted
against the amendment" the wee
president was asked.
"Oh. yes" was the reply. And
my views have been well known.
Mind YOU, don't use liquor, never
serve it on my table and ! would to
IGod no one else did, but | object to
the way prohibition has been impos-
ed. though again | must Insist, now
that it is here, that it must be en-
forced.
Says Senate Surrendered.
GAS a matter of fact, irrespective
of the question of personal habits
members of the senate whose views
about the police powers of the sever
al states conincide with my own, sur
rendered their opinions when they
voted, simply because they thought
it was the wish of the people of their
states. That isn't leadership nor rep
resentative government, in my con-
ception of the term.
Indeed. LAWYERS. like statesmen,
are losing their influence because
thew are not telling their clients
what is the law and what should be
done. Instead, lawyers nowadays are
listening to boards of directors and
trying to accomplish what those
boards want done-often against
the best judgment of the lawyers
themselves"
The vice president was Endorsed by
the Virginia Bar Association for the
presidency, compliment Of the oc-
casion, no doubt, for Mr.. Marshall
isn't candidate, active, passive, re-
ceptive, or even interested. Maybe
if he were he would not express him.
self so frankly.