Evening star., 1921-08-26
Editorial Digest.
Is Dry Ardor Dampening?

Is Ury Ardor Uampenlng!
Tho unexpected storm in Congress
over the anti-beer bill has opened a
wide discussion in the press of the
whole question of prohibition en-
forcemsnt.. home brew and constitu-
tional guarantees. The latter is. of
course; the essential element in the
discussion of "volstead Act, Jr.." as
editors differ as to what. under the
terms of the Stanley amendment
constitutes unreasonable search and
seizure" in the enforcement of pro-
hibition.
1t is a curious development, the
Ell Paso Times (democratic) points
out, that a provision intended to
make the Volstead act more dras-
tic" should in reality become 1.-THE
first step toward liberalization of the
prohibition enforcement laws" When
the dry forces sought to prohibit the
medicinal use of liquor. the result.
the Baltimore American (republican)
says, was that the Senate woke up'
and discovered more menaces to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness"
In the new bill than had been dis
covered in all the long and dreary
months that prohibition has been a
subject of practical discussion" and
now. having suddenly discovered the
Constitution" the Senate ais ready
to die in defense of that historic in
strument."
Until this new discussion arose
anti ntt-prohfbitionists, in the opinion of
the Columbia Is. c. State democrat
icl. nave been wandering aimlessly
ana lndulginE in futile clamors." nor
nave they discovered the weak spot
In the prohibition armor," and the
result. as the Pittsburgh Leader
tprogressive republican, sees it, is
that "the Senate has forced to the
front one point for verdict--shall
we retain the fourth amendment or
the Volstead enforcement act?" since
1T is impossible to have both"
Whiie the Louisville Courier-Jour-
nal (democratic) does not recognize
that man cannot carry the Consti-
tuition with him outside his home"
the Springfield Republican Gndepend-
ehtl argues that this guarantee is
only against unreasonable" search
ana seizure. and in it's opinion "com.
mon sense finds nothing unreasonable
IN stopping and searching without
warrant an automobile suspected Of
rum running"
the Newark News Gndepcndent)
!nlnks the Senate's position is utter
preposterous." since: IF a ma
miles until 1T reaches a point where
remains long enough to permit
swearing out a detailed search war.
rant, or must be pursued until the
contents have been widely distributed
before search can begin, prohibition
enforcement is bound to break down.
The Brooklyn Eagle Gndependent
democratic) supports this position
only on the grounds of practicability,
because "it is plain sense, from the
administrative point of view" and
finds reason for rejoicing over the
long step toward rationalism' evil
denced by the protection to the hume
which the new bill affords.
However. under the new interpreta-
tion convictions for violations of the
prohibition act are certain to be made
ten times more difficult" the Wheel
ing (W. Va:) Register (democratic)
oelieVes, and as result prohibition,
IN the opinion of the Elmira Star
Gazette independently can go mo fur
ther than to close the saloon and its
adjuncts"
surely. the Chicago News Qndepend-
enO agrees. Congress never intended
70 substitute home distilleries and brew
ess es,es al over the land for regulated and
taxed commercial breweries and distil-
,ertes. out of which will grow, the New
Haven Journal dndependen) warns, "a
nome -ore wing indulgence that will reach
out NS disastrous tentacles in unSuS-
pected and unforeseen directions
But 1t is because of this very "home-
brewing indulgence" that the Arizona
Republican CPhoenix, independent pro-
gressive) regards the new amendment
as the wisest and most effective move
10 further the cause OF prohibition since
the ratincation Of the eighteenth amend
ment." Home brewing, the Republican
thinks. has been persisted in, despite
failures and dfsappointments, because
paternal government had forbidden
It.. Now 1t suggests that IL the new
ruling be followed up. by government
recipes for making in the home every
Kind OF an alcoholic beverage that was
ever heard Of in six months there would
country"
The Duluth Herald Independently also
suspects that 'ff the government turns
It's attention elsewhere and passes up
nome brewing as game too small for its
consideration, most people will get tired
Of It and quit" On the other hand, the
Wilmington IN. CO. Star (democratic),
In ., somewhat lighter vein than the
Ariznna paper, also suggests that Con.
gresa after authorizing home brew,
should now authorize professional in :
Struition Of the home brewer as a mat
ter OF public safety" otherwise there is
no telling where lot of Jus will wind
up /. : ! .-