The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1922-08-09
David and His Sling

Never before in the history of the
United States, or of any other coun-
try, has there been so great need as
now for clear realization by every
citizen of his or her responsibility and
individual power as part of the
Government. Now and henceforth,
more clearly than ever before, the
fate of society, industry, Individual
freedom, education, religious and poll
tical liberty, even Of the Government
itself, rests with those who are quail
fed to vote intelligently and who have
the courage to vote right The temp
tation is to believe that the voter who
goes to the polls to cast single ballot
is indiferently equipped, and that he
is all but poWerless to make his voice
heard or his choice effective. What
he needs today is the conservation and
courage of David and the willingness
to go with 'pebble and Sling" to pre-
vail against the Goliath which defes
decency and order and the very struc-
ture of government itself.
The program of the allied foes of
prohibition in the nationwide poll
tical campaign which has already be-
gun has been disclosed to the people
in language plain enough to be under
stood by everyone. And yet the in
clination seems to be to disregard the
threat which is so openly made. 1t is
the intention of the friends of the
liquor interests and those whose SYM
pathles they have gained to elect to
Congress, from the membership of all
the political parties, those candidates
who are pledged to vote for a modif-
cation of the present prohibition en-
forcement code. For more than two
years they have been preparing public
thought for just this undertaking.
BY persistent violations of the law,
by the wholesale destruction of hun
dreds and thousands of addicts to
whom they have furnished noxious
substitutes for liquor, by support and
encouragement given to rum-runners
and bootleggers, and by the payment
OF heavy fines contributed by the hap
less victims of their traffic, they have
sought to create the impression that
the law cannot be enforced and that
the condition of society would be bet
tered by permitting the sale of what
they call harmless alcoholic beverages. !
They have been more or less sue
cessful in convincing many otherwise
thoughtful people of the reasonable
ness of such course. Now they are
ready to strike what they hope will be
the decisive blow. They are prepar-
ing to leash in on the sentiment
which they believe they have created.
But they are working stealthily and
quietly. There will be no blowing of
horns or sounding of trumpets. No
candidate, perhaps, will ask the votes
of law-abiding people on a platform
declaring for the repeal or even the
modification of the present law. The
game they are playing is not in the
open, and it is not being conducted ac-
cording to the established political
rules with which the American people |
are familiar. The tissues" announced
and discussed will be those familiar
to everybody, the tariff, the bonus,
transportation rates, state rights, and
all the dignified and some of the hack
neyed "isms' and theories ancient
enough to be retired or superannuated
But this effort to deceive should not |
confuse anyone. The real issue can
not be hidden.
With the method understood, the
means of counter-acting it presents
itself readily enough. Individual in
vestigation by every voter or by or
CARNATIONS of voters is necessary in
every congressional and senatorial
contest. The position of each candi-
date for the United States Senate and
for the House of Representatives
must be known personally to the vot-