Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-11-28
VETS AND DRYS ARE
BOTH D|SCONT TENTED.
WITH PRESENT LAW
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
(Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1922


prohibition mess is getting worse
than ever. Nobody is satisfied with
the present situation-neither vets
nor drys. President Hardlng's an
nouncement that the cabinet had
discussed the entire subject and that
an appeal to the conscience of the
American people on the subject OF
low enforcement Is pending consti
tutes the first direct result of the
last election.
The significance of Mr.. Harding's
course in bringing the matter to
public attention at this time is
realization that the machinery OF
enforcement is not only inadequate
but ineffective without sympa'
thetic public sentiment. Many of
the foes of prohibition argued again
and again that a law involving the
morals Of the country ought not be
put on the statute books until SEN
timent is practically unanimous. EX-
perience with liquor laws in the
the several states for a generation
has proved that public sentiment
makes a law effective or a dead
letter, according as the people
choose.
The federal government is aware
that in many states public sentl-
ment has virtually nullified the law.
Dry leaders are constantly urging
the government to do something
about it. Recent elections in the
so-called wet States have made mat
ters even worse. How much en-
thusiasm, for instance, have the
state officials in New Jersey for
law enforcement when the state
voted for a wet candidate by big
majority? And how discouraging is
the task of the federal officials,
who realize that they haven't the
moral support of the local authori-
ties. After all the police powers OF
the nation are vested in the states
and cities and even the most ardent
friend of prohibition will Concede
that without the support of the
states the federal government faces
an almost hopeless task i'll Kidding
the country of 'bootleggers.
Cutlery for Liberalization
The constitutional amendment con-
templated concurrent jurisdiction OF
the states and the federal govern
ment. 1t was hoped that both would
be eXertcd from the enforcement OF
the law. But some states have by
one means or another shirked their
tasks. Massachusetts in the last
election voted against a bill to help
the federal government enforce pro
hibition. The movement in the wet
states is not at present aimed to
secure a return of the saloon-the
cutlery is for liberalization, namely
the making of wines and beer.
In accordance as this statement
grows, tie federal government finds
respect for the existing law diminish
ing. And the defenders of prohibi-
ton point out that if the laws are
liberalized the enforcement machln-
cry will break down altogether and
the sale of whisky will be difficult
to stop.
Meanwhile the resentment of the
vets over the alleged interference
Of government and state officials with
searches and seizures and the ex-
trenes to which enforcement has
been carried in some communities
is causing trouble on the one hand
while On the other hand, the inCigna-
ton of the drys over the laxity OF
certain states, and the failure OF
the federal government to enforce
the law more severely results up to
,ics4Yo tin11 from GqV
to day.
Truly the federal government is
between two fires. President Har-
ding feels that while the battle is
going on and public sentiment is
shaping itself he must at least Sc
cure respect for existing law. His
idea is that the fundamental law
of the land and the constitution are
too sacred to be lisregarded even
though a large number of people
NAV favor a change. His thought
is that disagreement with the merit
of a law must not be converted into
plain violation of the law.
The whole thing illustrated the
basic fault with the prohibition
problem from the beginning-the in
ability of the drys to rally the peo-
pie of the wet states to their side
early enough. State legislatures
ratified the federal amendment I'M
der pressure from the Anti-Saloon
league and succeeded in many cases
in preventing referendum. Had
the latter been permitted, it is quite
possible that some states now count
ed as wet would have voted dry ana
the movement for law enforcement
would have been the gamer.
Irrespective, however, OF the tao
tics of the past, the president, and
his cabinet are united that the thing
to do now is to appeal to pubHc
sentiment to respect the law until
the people through congress actual
" modify hte law in orderly fashion.
This nevertheless helped the drys to
some extent but the theory is those
dry" vets who have insisted from
the beginning that the quickest way
to get wines and beer back was to
enforce the law so rigidly that the
reaction against it will be inevitable
and the pendulum would SWING IN
the other direction. The federal
government however needs the help
of state officials. The president has
taken hold of one of the most acute
questions in American politics TO-
day-one that helped to make the
last election topsy turvy and maybe
fog other questions of moment in
the 1924 election if something isn't
done in the meantime.