The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1921-08-27
THE OUTPOST OF LIBERTY.


bad at Washington its over-zealous rep
resentatives will have none to blame
but themselves. When they insist that
The Volstead act shall be amended to
permit enforcement officers to enter
the homes Of suspected persons in
search Of Intoxicating liquor without
legal warrant they are but playing into
the hands Of their enemies.
Heated discussion on the question
followed the failure Of the house and
senate to agree in conference on the
amended Volstead bill. The senate in
sisted on retaining in the bill an amend
ment introduced by Mr.. Stanley, Of
Kentucky, and unanimously adopted,
which would make it misdemeanor
for any agent or officer of the United
States to search or attempt to search
the property or premises of any per-
son without previously securing a
search warrant as provided by law.
The house agreed to- a substitute
amendment prohibiting officers from
searching private dwellings only with
cut first securing a search warrant. No
penalty clause was placed in the SUBJ
itute, and an officer would suffer no
punishment for violating its provisions.
The Stanley amendment is the lau-
suage Of the Constitution of the United
States and was put there with nine
other provisions, constituting Bill Of
Rights, upon the insistence of the state
Of Virginia, as condition Of it's ratifi-
tution Of the constitution. Madison
was defeated for the United States sea-
ate because he failed to insist that the.
constitution at the time it was written
contain guarantees for free speech, free
press, right Of assemblage, freedom
from search without legal warrant and
'thers. He was, however, elected to the
lower house, and one Of his first acts
was "to beg the house to indulge him
l. further consideration of amendments
"a the constitution and he pointed
out that the faith and honor of con.
sfess was pledged; that the faith and
honor Of public men everywhere were
pledged to amendments to securing to
tie citizens such guarantees az were
comprehended within the first ten
amendments.
The people of the United States were
:hen fresh from the yoke of serfdom
fastened upon them by tyrant king
and they knew the precious worth of
liberty as did the English barous when
on the banks of the Runnymede in
l2l5, they exacted from King John a
Bill Of Rights, known in history as
Magma Charta, which contained q pro-
vision preventing sheriffs, constables,
coroners or other bailiffs from invading
The cottage of B. peasant or the castle
CT baron to hold court without the
consent Of the occupant, as had been
their custom.
Senators who enjoy dry records have
taken the lead in saving this much of
human liberty in America. They hold
that there is no justification for the
violation of one section Of the consti.
tuition to uphold another. They would
not uphold the boot-legger or the maker
of moonshine, but they still have some
reverence for that palladium of every
american right, the constitution of
The United States.
The strongest point made by the vets
in opposing prohibition was that H.
volving the question Of personal lber-
ty. There was no argument in favor
of booze. Everything was against it.
Its sale had been abused and its usa
had become destructive to the indi.
vldual and to society. Drinking men
Joined with non-drinkers to wipe out
It's manufacture and sale.
The drys successfully combatted tho
personal liberty" argument set I'D by
the vets as regards to the manufacture
and sale Of Intoxicating beverages. but
1T will be difficult for them or other,
TO defend the search Of a person ,.
property or person without legal war;
'.nt. If such methods can be used in
the enforcement Of the prohibition law
they can be used to enforce other laws
and for other police purposes or rea:
sons.
Police are no respecters of human lih.
erty. There is no tyrant, if he wills it.
like the wearer of a star and billy. That
is true of constables, sheriffs. detac-
tives and government Officers. When
one remembers tho questionable meth.
DDS employed by prohibition officers in
the recent arrest Of the keeper. ~
Lakewood Inn, he would be loathe tn
trust such agents Of the government
with the custody Of his rights or tho
protection Of his immunities, There !.