The Alaska daily empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1912-1926, 1922-09-20

lteS IN SHuef, anu tHlS one
from the place whence it rose.
resolutions" at a meeting of the
Juneau branch, is to secure the re-
peal Of
/. The Eighteenth Amendment to
the Constitution. ~
9 The Volstead Law
3. The Alaska Bone Dry Law.
Before giving any consideration
to the maliciously false statements
offered as argument for the con-
summation of this ambitious program,
it should be borne in mind that the
repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment,
or of the Volstead law. IL possible of
accomplishment. would have sno eff
feet whatever upon the status OF
prohibition in Alaska, a circumstance
that the promoters of the Sanity
League carefully ignore. In this con-
nection it may be we'll to recall that
The California Liquor Dealers Associ
alton spent $4,000 in an effort to
defeat the prohibition referendum
upon which the people of Alaska
voted in 1916. Presumably this same
group of philanthropists now desires
to help finance their fight upon the
Constitution of the United States!
AS a sop to local interest this Cali
fornia league demands the repeal OF
the Alaska Bone Dry Law and pro-
poses "to take appropriate Measures
for the appointment of suitable CON-
mittees in the legislative districts
to support honest legislators and 10
Danish time servers and faithless
representation from office" And it
further Resolves to furnish a copy
of the resolutions in question to the
Territorial Legislature OF 1923 with
request for the immediate repeal OF
the Alaska Bone Dry Law.
Wet and Dry Contest
Accepting this announcement at
face value. it is the avowed purpose
of the Sanity LeagIe to make the
coming Territorial election wet and
dry contest. circumstance that will
be deplorcd by all fcrwardlooking Al
askans. The Territorial Legislature
has no power to rcDeal or amend
the Alaska dry law. fact that was
thoroughly established when snch an
attempt was made in the Legislature
of 1917 1t can, however. pass
referendum bill to again submit the
question to the people OF Alaska,
who could, by a majority vote. me-
morializa Congress for change in
the present law But, remembering
that the vote of 1915 was almost 2
to 1 for prohibition, despite the
$4,000 worth Of pro-liGuo~ publicity
donated by orr generous California
friends it is not within the realm OF
probability that the Alaska Le2isla-
ture will do anything so futile: for
it is always to be borne in mind that
the repeal of Alaskas own dry law
would not in any way affect her
status under the Eighteenth Amend
ment SO, from whichever end the
Sanity League attempts to play to
the middle. the result will be the
same. 1t is a matter of pride to Al
askans that. when the Eighteenth
Amendment was adopted We did not
have to fall in line. as did many OF
the states, to pass the required sup
Elementary enforcement measures
having already "beaten Uncle Sam
to It." We are not likely TO step
from the head to the rear Of the pro-
cession OF progress, even to accom-
modate the Sanity League OF Cali
fornia.
Any hope that may have been en-
terta;ned of securing even modifi-
cation of the Volstead law by the
next ColGiess. is already dispelled
by the result: of the primary cleo
tons which show gain for the
drys in both House and Senate. In
many states these elections were
fought on the amendment issue. and
in but one instance-the old distill-
cry district of Peoria, Ill.-has an
avowedly wet candidate been nomin-
ated Whatever justification exists.
from the proliquor standpoint. for
the attempt to secure new legisla-
ton son prohibition by making 1t an
issue in the Congressional elections,
does not, by any stretch Of the i'm
agination, include Alaska. which has
no vote in Congress. and whose PEG
pie settled the question for them
selves in 1915; and the pretext that
it does is advanced solely for the
financial benefit of the walking dele
gate from California.
Meritorious Item
But one item in the preposterous
resolutions" set forth by the Sanity
League OF Juneau merits attention
II is the charge that the Eighteenth
Amendment was adopted during a
period of hysteria brought about
through the exigencies OF war" The
facts are:
In January. 1917, % states were
dry. (three more enacted dry laws
during that year,, and hundreds Of
counties in other states were dry By
local option The area under prohi
t.4f1, .o,sa.te,aJ