The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-03-07

4 laturesY They are permitted TO act
upon very important matters. The
descent OF property 10 a matter OF
State statute; domestic relations ana
the rights OF children are defined ana
safe-guarded by State statutes; ire
and properly are protected by state
statute, and men are executed oy
States in accordance with stAtutory
IL is only when the Legislature
dares to lay its hands upon the liquor
traffic that Il forfeits the respect
| Qf the men who wrote the New YORK
platform and srouses their "unaitsf-
| able opposition" 500 .F
IL would. OF course. be a reflection
upon the heads and the hearts OF
the men responsible for the new
| York platform 10 say that their op-
| position 10 matter OF principle
Thefe are no such ISOLATED principles.
! Nothing buty feeling can explain tne
ATTITUDE Of these unaiterabief oppon.
snts OF prohibition, and they do well
! TO use the word feeling" instead OF
conscience" pr~"inteliect."
| ~ TSirst IL q Disease. -
| If the feeling. is due TO thirst II
| IL a disease that needs remedy u
| Il is true to coercion brought TO bear
upon them by the representatives VI
La revenseful and outlawed nquor
| traffic. II is a disgrace. But when
OF the feeling that Is so feehnsy
I expressed is a disease or a ds9rAse.
| It IA an insult to the Democrats
party and to the nation
! But passing from the unaiter
| able" objection to the Federal
amendment. we come to something
even more startling. viz. the sentence
In which they declare, not only LOT
| the speedy repeal, although that 10
| bad enough, but. to the state tnAt'
until such time as this repeal may
be brought about: they declare the
right" of the State OF New York IN
the exercise of it's sovereign power
to so construe the concurrent clause
OF the Eighteenth Amendment as TO
be, In accord with the liberal and rea-
sonabie views of our people"
| If this is not the doctrine OF NULL
ncation. 1t has no meaning: IL IL Is
the doctrine Of notification, II raises
an Issue greater than any other now
before the country. The right or
state to nullify the Federal Constitu-
ton was settled in the negative near
lily sixty years ago. and the case VIII
not be reopencd merely to please men
| with an appetite or men who want 10
re-enter crime-creating business.
! And this in the name of Personal LID
erty!
saloon Ia Crime Creator.
| The statistics show that the saloon
| Is the creator of crime, here ana
everywhere. 1t increases the number
OF accidents in industry: II pauperizes
| on a large scale; IL disrupts families:
it starves children and increases the
death rate among infants. 1t Is the
direct and active cause behind crimes
of every kind. In the city OF Biz
mingham. Ala, the number OF muir
ders fell off sixty-four, more than
one-half (from 124 to co.. in the two
years following the adoption OF pro-
hibition. as compared with the two
years Immediately preceding.
| had OCCASION to examine &c
statistics in Cincinnati and Cleveland
last fall, and / found that crime had
| fallen off in both of these cities dur
| ing the first four months after the
adoption of war prohibition. and that.
too, in spite OF the fact that the OPP
position was trying to make the
showing as bad as possible in order
to help IL in its fight against pro-
hibition in that State.
| Laws Must he Enforeed.
| Is it possible for the American pee
1 pie TO allow the friends OF a crsmi-
1 NAH business to nNiIify the Fcdercl
and encourage lawicss-
Iness? Is it possible that the Federal
lGovernment will permit it's law en-
forcing power to be scoffed at and
\ thus invite violation OF every law.
IL a brewer, distiller or liquor dealer
| can violate a Federal statute based
on the Interpretation by Congress OF
the Federal Constitution, why shou' Il
any of the smaller criminals be re-
quired to obey the law? II state can
repudiate the Federal Constitution
and one Federal statute by con-
struction palpably false. why can 1t
not repudiate al national authority!
The issue raised by those who wrote
the New York platform is nothing less
than that Of national supremacy VS..
State sovereignty. Can any larger
issue be raised? Can any greater men
ace to law and order be imagined?
IL home has no right to protect
itself from a saloon, what right has
bank to protect itself from burg
lar? Are the dollars of the banker
more precious than a mothers child
rem?
will the New York Democrats
not the New york democracy, but
the spurious representatives of New
l Il
tack the homes of the nation. viii
these men say that broken-dowr
horse is more deserving OF protec'
ton from the horse thief than thu
boys and girls are from the liquor
dealer who attempts to snare then
and lead them down to ruin for sc
many dollars per life?
saloon Not Fight Of Life.
: II New Yorks Democrats are will
: ing to indorse the astounding anc
, shameful performance of the leaders
, who assumed to speak for them al
} Albany, they must expect the con
, tempt Of the Democrats of the nation
for the Democratic party cannot de
scend to the level of those who wrote
that platform. and 1t cannot permit
them to speak for the Democracy. OF
the nation.
The right to demand the return o.
i