Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-10-06
TRYING TO HIDE BEHIND
MORAL ISSUE

OmclalS OF the .Anti-SalOOn League
are flooding the mails with letters in
behalf of Congressman Volstead, who
was defeated in the June primary.
According to these letters Volstead is
the only man in the United States
who can save nationwide enforcement
of the U. S. Constitution as it relates
to the liquor traffic.
WE REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS.
Nationwide prohibition was won with
out any especial help from A. J. Vol
stead and it will be- upheld and en-
forced after he drops out of sight
Nov. 2.
1t is silly to argue that the next
Congress will be controlled by the
chairman OF the judiciary committee
OF the House. The issue of "wet' or
dry is more or less a factor in ev-
cry congressional district in the Uni
ted States. All these elections take
place NoY. 2. If "a majority of the
vets win, neither Volstead nor any
other man can prevent them from
amending the liquor laws. If a ma
,jority Of the congressman are "dry"
they will promote enforcement, re-
gardless OF who is chairman of the
judiciary committee. To argue other
wise is to confess that our represent
at:ve government is failure.
In the Seventh District of Mime
sofa the liquor question is not an is
sue, because the opposition candidate
is known to be more consistent
dry man than Volstead. If Kvale
is elected he will support every move
to enforce prohibition. Hence there
is nothing for our temperance people
to worry about. They are free to vote
their convictions on other issues
which enter into this election.
Volstead was defeated in the prim-
ary because of his vote in favor of
the Esch-Cummins railroad bill. This
vote proved conclusively to his con-
stituents (who had been becoming
more skeptical from year to year,
that their congressman had definitely
allied himself with special privilege
as against the interests 'of the pro-
ducers. In choosing candidate with
whom to defeat Volstead, the farm
ers and laborers were careful to name
one who is right on the temperance
issue, so that there could be no quib-
bling on this issue.
But a drowning man grasps at a
straw, and when Volstead felt the
ground give way under his feet, he
proceeded to inject the temperance
issue into the campaign, hiding from
the main issue behind the fact that
the enforcement bill which it had be-
come the >duty of the judiciary COM
mittee to- report bore his name as
chairman of the committee. The cry
was taken up at once by all the stand
pat politicians of the district, many
of whom were never before known to
be interested in prohibition.
The accession of women voters
hope that they could influence them
where they had failed with the men.
The temperance issue adapts itself
we'll for campaign among the wo-
men. The old-line politicians are
now coaching the ladies to make a
house to house canvass ito help save
Volstead.' These emissaries become
almost hysterical at times for they
have really been made to believe that
they are doing something to save the
country from the drink evil. What a
pity that these confiding women are
being used in this attempt to save an
old reactionary politician from his
just deserts?
But the wives and sisters of the
working men and farmers and those
girls who have to work at shop and
counter will not be so easily fooled
to vote against their own interests.
They will do some independent think
ing for themselves. and not believe
without question what is told them
by representatives of old politicians
and silk-stocking club women.