The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-06-13
Editorial
of the Day
SETTLED FOR ALL TIME TO
COME"
qrom 1T. worth star.Telegram

ttrOm tl. Worln Star-leleBriuul)
In deciding that both the federal
prohibition amendment and the enforce
ment act are constitutional, the Su-
preme court has dealt a decisive blow
to the "wet" agitation which has
been going on in some states. These
decisions mean that attempts by state
legislatures to get around the federal
law by passing state laws defining
intoxicating liquors in such way as to
permit the manufacture and sale of
failure beforehand, for it can be taxi
en- for granted that the Federal
courts will uphold the efforts of fed.
eral officias to enforce the federal laws
in such states, no matter what local
laws may be passed by the legisla-
ture. 1t will be found. we think, that
this will ultimately put an end to
the agitation, for even though it be
granted that congress might have
power under the prohibition amend
ment to define intoxicating liquors
in such a way as to permit light
wines and beer. the prospects of con-
gress taking such action and of a pres
dent signing such a bill is so remote
that the agitation may be expected
to die out. Those sections of the coun-
try that have not become reconciled
to prohibition will gradually adjust
| 4, 30,
In any event, we hope that such will
be the course of events. The prohib
ition issue ought to be regarded as
definitely settled as the question of
slavery. Indeed, the anti-prohibitionists
ought to take precisely the position
which the democratic party took with
respect to slavery in its platform or
1868, when it formally recognized
"the questions Of slavery and seces-
sion as having been settled for all
time to come by the war or by volun.
tary action of the southern states in
constitutional conventions assembled
and never to be renewed or reagitated"
The prohibition question ought to be
regarded as settled for all time to
come and never TO be renewed or re.
agitated." The average man so re-
CARDS 1t already, irrespective of wheth-
er he favored or opposed prohibition,
and even the politicians are discov-
ering that it is a dead issue. This
is borne out by the fact that in spite
Of the agitation which has been going
on for months, there is not the re
motest chance that either the repub-
lican or democratic national platform
will propose the slightest modification
of the prohibition laws.
In Texas particularly we ought to
welcome the final approach of such 4
situations for the division of our peo-
pie for years into two warning camps
over this question has made impossi.
BILE the proper consideration of big
questions having to do with the wei.
fare and development of the state. For
years men were elected to office on
no other ground except their position
on the prohibition question, anti ter.
ritory asking only that a man was op.
posed to prohibition and pro territory
asking only that he favored it. In con.
sequence the standard of public serv-
ice declined Up TO this good hour
there are men who seek TO keep alive
this division and to cite as their chief
qualification for office their position
on prohibition. 1t is hardly necessary
to say that this ought not to continue.
For the people can be depended upon
to take care of it. The people know that
the prohibition issue is settled, that
as practical proposition there is no
chance Of 1t being resurrected and they
can be depended upon to insist that
attention be given to other questions
which are pressing for consideration.
The building up Of the state, indus
trially, agriculturally educationally and
socially, this is the task ahead Of us,
and with the prohibition question out
of the way, we can give undivided at.
tention to this task
And what is true in the state is true
also in the nation. From too many
sections Of the country men have been
sent to congress and 70 the United
States senate with very little else to
command them except their stand
for or against prohibition, according
to the prevailing view in any given
section. That is one of tn. reasons
we have had u congress with very
few men in either house capable OF
dealing with the big issues which have
been presented by the war and it's
aftermath. To be sure, there are
many other reasons, and most Of
them are related TO the fact that the
election Of men to congress and to the
senate has hung upon factional allie
glance and provincial issues of a local
character, instead of the larger cues.
tions with which the country has
been faced But the division on pro-
hibition has played its part, and with
the elimination of that question we
might hope to eliminate other local
fractional considerations in the selec.
ton of men for national office. Men
ought to be sent to Washington to
serve the whole nation, and prime
consideration should be given to their
fitness and their ability to serve il In
solving national problems
Red Cross Seeks Information
The Home Service Section of the