The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1922-12-22
BALTIMORE LETTER
Hotel Renlert

Baltimore, December Il, 192Z.
Governor Richie held the centre OF
the political stage last week at the
conference of Governors at the Viz
ginia Hot Springs, and took the same
position, with added emphasis, at the
supplementary conference OF State
Executives, which took place at The
White House in Washington, on Mon
dav, The White House conference
was held with the President. Mem
bers of his cabinet, and other prom
inent officials, including the Cover
nors of fourteen States, to consluef
the enforcement of the National Pro
hibition laws.
In his stand on both these occa-
sions. the Maryland Governor TOOK
the old. time-honcred Democratic po-
sition, that all these questions are
nurelv matters affecting the rights or
States. and were reserved to the
States. to be decided as the severa,
States wished to decide them, ana
that the interference of the Natlona4
Government in such purely domestic
affairs, was unWise, and contraI! L
every principle on which the UNION o.
the States was based. That 1t WoulU
be practically impossible ever TO So
cure an effective enforcement OF an!
Federal law in a State where pubic
sentiment was opposed to that law.
and that before Prohibition was tax
en- ND and attempted to be enforced
under a National statute, in a iafSN
number of States, and parts o.
States. il was effectively enforced un-
der local laws, and that no troubI-
had been experienced in securing
large measure Of obedience to the so
called dry laws, under such clrCui-l
stances. That the National lntsIlei
ence had not resulted in real prom
bition. but on the contrary, hau cAuo
ed such widespread disrespect Oh lhI
whole system of so-called dry le2is-
lation. that in nearly all places WherN
local dry laws had been effective o.
fore the Federal laws were enacttI
all such legislation both local anu
National was now practically ignore
He contended that it was to a gre
extent useless to attempt to enforce
such laws under the circumstance
and that the evil would increase rain
er than diminish, unless there was =
return in practice to the old syS'e".
of local seif-gOvernment.
The result OF the Governor slroh@
stand in favor of a return to the o.
doctrine of States rights in all sue
matters. has been to bring him TO III
front as a strong possibility II no'
probability, for the Democratic nom
nation for the Presidency IN ~
MANY of the leading men in both par
that the hest IN
terests of the people of the whole
country will be subserved by a re
turn in practice to the old system O.
local self-government, and that a nal
should be called on the aggresslons
of the government at Washington. l.
recent years the power of the FEEDER
al government has been increasing by
leaps and bounds, and the reserved
rights of the States have been cor
respondingly ignored, until now
there seems to be no limit to what the
Nat. onuI administration can do, anu
very little real power, at the presen
rate of progress, will soon be Ieft Il
the State.
Those who were at the conferences
where so many of the Governor
were present say that there was NJ
uuuUL a. to the Inuenectual as Wei
practical superiority Of Governo.
hitcnie-that ne stood head and Shout
ders above all the others in every i'm
por,ant particular. in looks, in praC
tlcal common sense, in real know
edge OF public affairs, both State anu
National. as well as in scholarship
and theoretical knowledge, there va
no doubt as to his supriority, anu
mat 1t was acknowledged by all tina
the Governor of Maryland was the out
standing figure in both conferences
His courage, too, in expressing his
views ON these important matters,
where he stood almost alone, in tins
presence OF the President of the
United States, whose guest he was
VINO is the head of that party whic4
has always had as its cardinal art
Gle of faith a denial of the principle
OF State rights, added to the drama
tic force of his position, and not
few people believe that as the days g
by, and the time comes on for the
Democrats. and those citizens who be
lieve in a return to the practices and
doctrines of the fathers, to select a
candidate for President of the Unit
ed States, they will turn in overwhel-
ming numbers to Richie OF Maryland
as the oldest and most courageous ex-
ponent of their views.
PAUL WINCHESTER.