Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-09-21
VIEWS AND REVIEWS
Editorial Comment From other newspapers.
PROHIBITION ENFORCEMENT AND LOCAL
SENTIMENT

We need n little more thorough thinking than
as yet has been done concerning poth the eAS 1n
and validity of the sentiment in New York CITY
which is opposed to the enforcement OF the pro-
hibition laws.
The Tribune this morning quotes an unnamed
local enforcement agent to the effect that New
York Is now the wettest spot in the country anu
that the authorities cannot count upon assist
ance from the public in enforcing the laws. Inc
public that directly violates the law by it's pur.
chases of liquor Is a large one. The puphc thal
does not patronize the bootleggers and eStap-
lishments where liquor may be had but Which
nevertheless is unsympathetic to enforcement Is
much larger. But it is a question II the ofiheH-
sions of even this latter public are not exagser.
ated in the usual generous assumptions ABOUT
the public and local anti prohibition sentiment,
Ono bit of evidence on this point was suppnea
by the Haskell candidacy IN last Week fep9 ;no a
municipal campaign, but Judge Haskell insisted
on giving it a place. His PLATFORM. Tor az lts
technical mitigatlons' was a WEI VI ma m the
overwhelming time of resentment against ~. he
prohibition laws is really sweeping throush tug
city, here was the chance for an rnmlstapie pro,
test, But Haskell received only one vote IN e'etg
six cast in the primaries, and two-thirds or MS
votes came from Brooklyn and represented Iocas
pride and not wet sentiment. AS IN the case o.
the much advertised anti-prohibition parade on
July 4, the wet public hesitates to come OUT ihto
the open; and the suspicion arises whetner tna'
public is as large as is supposea. If
1t may be argued, and with a good deal Q,
force. that men are against prohibition VINO VIII
not sneak out openly against it. 1t mighI pe
said, cynically but with much truth Una. ,. .nI u
are men who are not opposed to the prohibitAon
laws so long as the laws remain a dead letter Ter
This habit of passing laws for pruning III ~
statute books and not for enforcement is q
common American vice. But II this Is true o.
local sentiment on prohibition. then the ahsweI
is that prohibition enforcement takes on evsl
more Importance than is involved in the speciat
problem. 1t becomes a test of the operation ~
democracy. The liquor laws should be eniorcee
until the law slackers are forced into making ar
omen choice between law and enforcement or
one side and no law on the other.
AS to the validity of local sentiment agains
the prohibition laws, one might ask our nelsh,
Dor the World, which has so regularly stresse.
this point, to substitute in its future arguments
West Virginia for New York City and industrla
order and justice for prohibition. inc Mo1,
has been outspoken against the local sentiment
in the mining state which has ENCOURAGED law,
lessness to the point of outraging the nationa
oonscienco and compelling repeated national IN
tervention. The World, has argued, ana prop.
erly, that if West Virginia refuses to be deem
and law-abiding, it must be made to be so IRON
the outside. But why is\the right Of local sentl'
ment in New York City to make a farce OF the
prohibition laws of the nation and the state more
sacred than tho right of local sentiment to flout
the decencies of civilized government in West
Virginia New York Evening Post.