Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-10-14
CANDIDATE FOR
PRESIDENT IN TOWN
Aaron S. Watkins, Prohibition
Party's Nominee, Says States
Along Canadian Border Are
Slow About Enacting Laws to
Back Up Volstead Act

'I take the ground that the government
should confiscate all the liquor re-distill
II and use IL for other than drinking pur-
poses; then give the dealers what It
proves to be worth for these purposes,
just a mans land Is confscated for
railroads." said Aaron S. watkins. Of Gin
cinnati, o., candidate for president on
the prohibition ticket, in an interview
with Free Press representative at the
Van Ness Hotel Tuesday evening.
Mr.. Watkins stopped over night at the
hotel He was on his way from Elmira
n. y, where he spoke Monday evening,
to fill three engagements In Vermont.
He spoke last evening in st. Johns
bury, this evening will be in Lyndonville
and Friday evening in Montpelier. On
Saturday evening he will he in Atlantic
City. from which place he will return
to Ohio. He states that the remainder
of his campaign will be conducted in the
central States, particularly in Ohio and
, Indiana.
When asked what he thought should
be done about enforcing the prohibition
law along the border. whether the gov
eminent should increase the number of
federal agents In order to bring about
stricter enforcement along the border
or the border States should take hand
in the enforcement, Mr.. watkins said
that the States have been n little bit
slow in exercising their authority. I'm
der the Volstead Act, he said. the States
have the right to enact concurrent juris-
diction, so that the State officers will be
empowered to assist the federal officials
, in the enforcement of the law.
"Of course. the enforcement will not
be ideal until the States enact enforce
ment laws. which will put them squarely
behind the enforcement of the national
laws" said Mr. Watkins. I'VE prohibit
tionists think it a mistake to have liquor
! handled the way it is. allowing whole
truckloads to be taken out of the ware
houses to he used for medicinal pur-
poses.'
When questioned to whether the
prohibition party is satisfied with the
present laws. If they are enforced or
If the party feels that other laws are
needed. Mr. watkins said that the
present laws are acceptable for the
most part The thing that the Pro-
htbition party is after Is the guaran-
tee that the present laws Will be con-
tnued on the statutes. Both the Re-
publican and Democratic candidates
for the presidency have said that they
would enforce the existing laws, but
they have not offered to use their
veto power to disapprove any attempt
to modify the Volstead act
There is no idea that anybody will
try to appeal the 18th amendment"
said Mr.. Watkins. but II laws under
Il can be passed making it legal to
manufacture and sell liquors contain
ing four or five per cent Of alcohol.
the liquor men will not care about the
amendment"
There is one thing about the pres
ent law which think should be
changed" said Mr.. Watkins THE
word Intoxicating should be changed
to alcoholic This would fix 1t so
that chemist could determine
whether or no liquor was within the
law. The word Intoxicating is debat-
able. That is about the only weak
point in the law
The prohibition candidate declared that
the liquor interests are putting up big
fight in the various States to get men
into Congress who will vote to repeal
the Volstead Act or to so modify II that
it will be Of little force. The liquor In
terests realize that this must be done
soon. or it will he too late, because a
year or two under prohibition will bring
the people to a point where they will
not want to go back to the old order.
III Sreat many pl"tes' Saiu ti'e c""-
uioa'e, the law Is not oe'hs enforced az
IL ought TO De. Inere are Small to"hs'
as wei as larger clties' "nere innings are
: pretty well wide open even with the
imperfect tests, the people are we'll salts
hed' Inc JAMS ana worNhouses are oelhs
closed up some time ago the 'incln-
nau workhouse was entreiy empty LOT
the hrst time in years.
for the last rev weeks, there seems
TO be KIND or break toward VIOLA
tons OF the law, MI watkins SAID
but Things VIII ushten UP again after
election
I'VE don't think the present admins
tration has expended enough money or
; put enough men in the Held to enforce
; the law. There are some appointments
resulting from political pull and men OF
that kind do not work very hard to en-
force the law. In the rural States. like
, Nebraska, Minnesota. ETC.. the enforce
ment is fairly good
: Some people wonder why we are In
: the field, SINGER we now have prohibi-
ton law" said Mr.. Watkins But We
take the ground that the law settles
-, nothing. and We want the law enforced
and guarantee that the administration
; Will uphold it, When the prohibition
vote goes up. Legislatures all over the
, country hustle to enact laws in favor OF
prohibition, but when the prohibition vote
goes down, the Legislatures either re-