The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-03-07

k1I8uU1nGuIs
Miami, fla. March s--The platform
adopted by the New York Democratic
s<afe convention presents an Issue
which, In Democratic councils must
overshAd6w every other issue until II
is repudtated or Endorsed by the DEM
ocrafic party Of the nation, and. IL en-
dorsed, Ii will become the only i'm
portant issue in the presidential cam
patEn.
The plank. as printed in the PRESS
dispatches. reads.
we are unaIterahiy opposed to pro 2
hibition by federal amendment. We be-
lieve IL to be an unreasonable inter
ference with the rights Of the state as
guaranteed by the constitution. We
feel that the recent enactment was the
imposition OF the ideas Of an active
minority against the wishes of the
great majority Of the American pco-
pie we therefore declare for its
speedy repeal and. TO the end that the
: personal liberty Of tho people Of our
state may be thoroughly safeguardcd
until such time as this repeal may be
brought about. we declare the right Of
cur atate In the exercise OF Its soy
ercfgn power TO 30 construe the COM
current clause Of the eighteenth
an1andment az to be in accord with
the liberal and reasonable views Of
our people,
The plank begins with declaration
ef orpoxtfion fsuHaiterabiy opposed-1
II q nrrvislcn now embodied IN the fed
eral constitutions and ~ much = part
thereof ais fhe bill ck rixhtx the pro-
vision for the &SectIoM Of president
and congress, the provision for ~
clarinG war and coaclu1tng peace or
any ether provision of that organic
law ~ NJ
ONLY GIVE ExCUsIk
II Il nas Only cppSsitt6ns Iat .uuai-
ieraAir spnnsil Isns=-aa nplspn siti A fha4..
no ecncesvAste rcAson. loxie ~ ecndt.
his unaifsTRslS cp 4 q nat Il
Is aan unreAsunahte tnferferehee with
the rights 81 tho state II Guaranteed
by the conHtttnticn. The excuse given
mot the fact or even the reason. hut
the excuse--ta thak those who wrote
the platform feel that the recent enact
rnent Was the imposition of tho ideas
OF an scfivc minority against the
wishes Of great majority OF the
American people.
Il is worth while 70 notice the in
sincerity of the two sentences Above
quoted. The opposition cannot be
based upon any real belief that II In
terferes with constitutional rights, boz
cause the constitution itself provides
way by which II can be amended
that is, In fact. the most Important pro-
vision in the constitution.
The dead have no right to bind the
Irving. A constitution made = hum
bred and thirty years ago can hardly
he invoked against the recorded will
ct the people, recently expressed In an
amendment adopted In accordance with
the terms OF the constitution itself. re
the present generation now has no right
AZ Ahx ~. .k-.st q ssiL.-
Will II be before IL will acquire such
right or, IL not this generation.
what generation in the future will be
able to add lsy constitutional methods
to constitution written In l7sse The
constitution has already been amended
eighteen times and the nineteenth
amendment is nearly ratified.
When the constitution was writ.
ten. slavery existed in many Of the
states. an institution that had come
down from the most ancient times and
vet II WAS abolished.
The constitution provided for the-
election Of senators by state legisiA-
lures. but in 1873 an amendment was
adopted which changed the method OF
electing senators and crowded for eIec-
ton by popular vote instead OF by
state legislatures.
This tprehihition) Is the only amend
ment that the democratic state con-
ventlon of New York sees at to s.unal-
tefably" oppoae. And this 0pposition
/ Is in spite Of the fact that this amend
ment has been ratined by forty-Ave
states, New York fncIuded among the
number. All but three Oh the forty
eight states have ratificd tho prohibit
ton amendment. the only states failing
being Rhode Island. Connecticut and
New jersey,
The second sentence quoted from
the platform would be amusing II Ii
did not deal with . serious subject.
Those who wrote the platform s.feer'
that the prohibition amendment was
Imposed by m activity minority
jority OF the American people. Man
who feel that = palpabto falsehood u
true are not safe advisors One does
not need to be well informed N
know that prohibition was not im-
posed by IAN active minority axafnst
lhA wishes OF the great majority 81
the American people," On tite con {
trary. II was imposed by tho con-
science of considerable majority 81
the American people, Expressed ~
ter long delibcration. ana the triumph
was won over a very active minority
under the leadership OF men without
conscience and with money Sufllciant
rffipfUx fhN Ill TT AwyeFxA. "
Secretary Root for instance--And to
corrupt politics, as shown Ii many
places and impudcnt enough 70 at
tempt to terrorizo those whom they
! could not buy.
Why this distrust Of state legisla-
lures The. doscent OF property Is q
matter Of state statute; domestic re-
lntions AND tho rights OF children are.
n and safSSuafdAd ~ stat4
w.