Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-21

a letter "a a friend In 1889 Benjamin
Franklin said OF the Constitution tnal
IL gave promise Of lasting. but ne ada-
Cd the qualification that in this worio
nothing IL certain but death ana
taxeso Were the kite-fying phh~
osenher- and statesman alive tooay
he might add to this qualification. For
lnstance. no might include Industrial
friction and conflict in his hst Oh tno
perennial and unacceptable thlhss W
which human kind is heir.
Also, he might include prohibition
and tho numerous ramifcations ana
aid issues OF that subject, for 1t ap-
nears that we are to have the proni-
hilton question always with us. There
yera those who thought It, was settieo
wbon the Eighteenth Amendment was
adopted and the yolstend Law was
euacted. Not sol IL bobs up every
where and all the time.
The VETS are demonstrating mat
hey are lineal descendants OF the
original Orchards" Just now n g
are excited over n nationwide poll OF
straw vote which TO date has Indicated
a substantial majority sentiment
favoring the repeal OF the prohibitory
amendment or some modification of
tho Volstead Law and they are
/, marshalling their forces for further
tests over the issue before the present
session Of the Congress Ia permitted to
, adjourn. At the same time the ques-
! ton IL being injected into primary
: contests and viii be much heard OF
during the campaign that VIII close
- with the November elections.
Senator Reeds denomination in
4 MISSOURI brought much comfort TO the
. vets. for he Is outspokenly on their
q side Of the u~uestIon-one OF the rev
II men prominent in public life who have
+ had the courage or the hardwood TO
@ take that standard he was running
2 against an avowed dry candidate. On
g the other hand, the drys point out that
4 there were ether issues nvolved In
the Missouri contest and scout the
= idea that any significance Is to be at
tached 70 the result IN so far az pro-
IA hlbition IL concerned. Thus the fires
OF argument are famed and the un-
u prejudiced-if there are any such
,r where this question IS raised-may
ID take their choice OF sides.
HOW Iests Nay Dc lmHHS.
10 There are several ways Of Bringing
Ia about test votes when It Is decided
A. that the time has come TO put mem.
g. bers OF Congress on record again. on
n such Ia to tack on a rider 10 the sol
" diers' bonus bill providing for tn
manufacture and sale OF light wine
he and beer under a tax sufficiently higl
AZ TO raise the funds necessary TO pa
nd the bonus. Such a move Is TO be eZ
40 pected from the vets. but supper
ne will be urged on the grounds that IN
soldiers are entitled to the bonus. tina
the only thing that stands in the wa
Of this recognition OF their services
a lack Of money. and that this littl
scheme VIII not only produce enoug
zoo funds TO meet this demand but VT
provide a surplus for other govern
ment needs.
This proposal may not got by, bu
Il will cause Senators and Representa
tves TO DO some heavy thinking be
..s fore they make UP their minds whic
ar way TO vote on IL. II may be said I
ha be loaded with several kinds Of %
x litical dynamite.
IN Another way OF bringing the PIT
hibition issue 20 the fore again is
M connection with the ship subsidy bi
nIv II IS we'll known that governmei
ships now being operated nave ba
As and cater to the thirsty when th'
are are outside the three-mile limit
lies the United States, as do the passe
.uel ger vessels of other nations. Wheth
sral this Is a violation OF the Volstead La
has not been definitely determined
and yet. but IL Is a course OF concern
the the drys. The vets cite II as ev1den
and that there IS a growing sentime
are against prohibition. or the enforc
and ment act. at least Otherwise, tn
the say, government officials would I
the permit such a thing.
and Various amendments can be pr
i. nolposed to the subsidy measure that y
20 l~precipitate the issue. One mig
eri- stipulate that no subsidy should
paid to a company which had bars
permitted the sale of intoxicants
the vessels which it operates. Anotf
might embody a change in the V
a!se stead Law so that it would not ap
lent TO United States ships when they &
the outside the three-mile limit. and VOL
ira thus legalize unquestionably what
The now being done. Still another mig
dis simply provide for the repeal OF
hne enforcement act.
And The last. whether nroposed as
erts rider to the subsidy or any other /
nc or submitted as a distinct measu
'eFe Is the one way Of return TO prep
poNe hibition days. No one now conte
'"S plates seriously an attempt to rep
or revoke the Eighteenth Amer
~ ment. To accomplish this would
~ quire another constitutional amel
ment and when II is recalled that o
~ three States refused 10 ratify
da- Eighteenth Amendment it is appar
4en, that Il would be impossible 10 sec
: 70 the votes OF three-fourths of the Sta
,atio TO a new amendment that would ELI
en- nate prohibition from the matte
5 as organic law.
However, the Eighteenth Anne
ment merely prohibits the manuf
rike, ture. transportation, sale, and use
need beverage purposes OF ~intoxicat
the liquor. II does not define intoxica
quite and 1t does not provide any penal
ainst for violation of the amendment
'men any means for enforcing II. All
ring. was done In the Volstead Law an,
that n vera 10 he ranaaled nrohihf
n would be as dead as John Barleyc
hau Is now supposed to be.
rotss Repeal improbable.
But It is not anticipated that
effort will be made In earnest to
peal the yolstead Law. 1t may be
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