Evening journal., 1921-05-25


six and requires no further answer.
Your paragraph eight states:
Among other charges made by
the Association Against the Prohlbi-
.tion Amendment is the charge that
Prohibition is the greatest crime
breeder Of all time"
! have not seen any OF the litera-
ture of the Association Against Pro-
hibition setting up the charge which
you quote, but the public press daily
contains many reports OF infractions
of the Volstead law far graver in i'm
port than the infraction of the sew
eral State laws previous to the en-
actment Of the Eighteenth Amend
ment.
Your paragraph nine states:
Feeling sure that no one who be-
lieves in prohibition and its enforce
ment will want to cast their vote for
"A member of the Association Against
the Prohibition Amendment. whose
object is the nullifcation of the 18th
Amendment by repeating the Vol.
stead Act, and that few patriotic
citizens will desire to give their sup
port to one who attempts to nullifv
"A part OF our Constitution. I am writ
ing, asking whether you are a mem
ber of the Association Against the
Prohibition Amendments"
My reply is that you have mis-
stated the position OF myself or Of
any other members of the Associa-
tion Against the Prohibition Amend
ment, in that the association docs
not, through any of its membership.
seek to "nullify" the Constitution
on the contrary, It seeks to pursue a
course granted to 1t by the Federal
Constitution itself. to wit: the repeal
of the 18th Amendment. You and
your friends adopted a perfectly le.
gal course as determined by the Su.
preme Court of the United States in
having the 18th Amen lment adopted
Surely, in good conscience ana a.
American citizens you and your
friends VIII not deny the constitu-
tional right (Which yOI have exer-
cised in securing the IS.h Amend
menD to me and my friends IN ad-
vocating snd working for its repeal.
Yes. l Am a member OF the asso-
citation.
'NA IeAA as AlAA Atil NAdAtos--
we believe that the citizens of
Wilmington whom you are asking to
elect you as their Mayor are en-
titled to this information. Will you
kindly favor us with a reply by
Thursday, May 25th."
My reply is that inasmuch as you
have undertaken to inject into the
pending municipal campaign the
subject Of the repeal Of the 18th
| Amendment which can, under nc
possible circumstances. having any.
thing whatever to do with the office
Of the Mayor of the City of Whining
ton, 1 must express to you my sur.
prise at your action. Manifestly
your letter makes it apparent tha
you and your friends intend to max,
my stand on the subject a matter o
comment The more right Of Vol
and your friends to do so cannot h
e questioned, and IL you should pre
{ sent my stand on the subject to "a
I the voters of Wilmington. I mus
b. and will accept whatever treatmer
- they choose to extend to me at tn
coming election.
4, May l state in closing that m
Z stand on the subject OF the Eight
- eenth Amendment. while it undoubt
/ edly differs from yours and that q
! your friends, has never been a secre
one and, on the contrary, as show
by your letter TO me. has been we
. known to all persons who desire in
formation upon that phase of m
public record. The Federal Consti
tuition gives to me a right to hav
and to express an opinion on sue
subjects and, exercising my right a
an American citizen, l take m
stand. TO which / am justly entitled
Very truly yours,
THOMAS f. BAYARD.