Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1920-03-04
THE RETURNING CAT

THE RETURING CAT
Every breeze that blows from the
east brings tidings that the liquor
issue is alive and kicking.
Massachusetts towns that had al
ways voted dry are voting wet now
that they can't have it. Democratic
conventions in New York and repub-
lican conventions in Missouri de-
mand the repeal of the Eighteenth
amendment. New Jersey is pro-
ceeding to legalize the manufacture
and sale of light beer under the con-
current powers provision of the
amendment. A federal judge in
Wisconsin decides that light beer is
legal in that state. Rhode Island
is attacking the prohibition amend
ment in the supreme court. Ohio
has declared against II by refer
endum vote of the people, and the
supreme court is expected shortly to
decide whether or not the people
have right to vote on that question.
The thousands of special officers ere
ated by congress to enforce the
amendment are overwhelmed by the
number of home breweries and home
distilleries> even now. And by the
time the succulent grape ripens and
the cherry bushes and the red, red
apples are falling to the ground it is
anticipated that the price of sugar
will reach simply prohibitive figure
-prohibitive, that is, to everybody
except the man who must have 1t at
any price to help along the process of
fermentation. The newspapers are
printing long stories and editorials
about II all, the anti-saloon league, is /.
raising a $25,000,000 fund and has
engaged the services of William j.
Bryan-and as for Mr.. Bryan, he is
again in his element.
When we recall fine glowing prom
Uses that prohibition would take the
liquor issue out of politics, that 1t
would leave the people free to devote
their attention to other and more i'm
portant matters-when we remember
this IL is to laugh.
1t reminds us that Turkey has had
national prohibition both by divine
law and statute law for more than a
thousand years-and isn't dry yet. 1t
is a harder job than itseemed to legis-
late an appetite-what might be call
ed a natural human instinct--out OF
existence. The craving for some
thing that will both stimulate and
soothe a weary mortal is deep seated
This, coupled with the belief more or
less widely entertained that national
prohibition was put across without
the people having been given suf-
cient opportunity to express them
selves, accounts for the resurgence OF
the question now
There is something to be said, too,
along the line that even in states
where the popular will was directly
expressed as to state prohibition at
least, the people did not understand
clearly what Shey were voting for. In
Nebraska, for example, they were as
sured ii was solely an "anti-saloon"
movement; that there was no in
tention to interfere with the GUS
toms of the people in their own
homes; that it was the organized
LIQUOR traffic that was-to be eliminat-
ed. There wer thousands who voted
for prohibition on that understanding
who did not know that they were to
be deprived of liquor for medicinal
purposes or for home consumption
as a beverage. Many Of these now
believe that their votes were secured
under false pretenses.
Til supreme court has decided, in
unfolding the Volstead act, that con-
gress has the power to dene an intox-
icating beverage The act in ques-
ton defined 1t as anything containing
more than one-half of one percent
alcohol. Some future act may place
the limit at percent, or 10, or some
other figure. New Jersey is deter.
mined to use its concurrent" right
as state TO establish 2.5 percent
limit.
The prospect is discouraging for
those who had hoped and believed
that the liquor issue would be settled
and eliminated when federal consti-
tutional prohibition should be once
established as the fundamental law
Of the land. All good citizens will
join in support of the law and the
constitution as they stand, and for
their impartial and fearless enforce
ment. But everything indicates they
will continue to differ as to what the
constitution and law should be, what
changes, II any, should be made, and
to drag their differences with them
into courts, party. conventions and
the political hastings