Paragould soliphone. (Paragould, Ark.) 1918-1950, 1922-03-08
REFUSING TO FOLLOW.

REFUSING TO FOLLOW.
The Executive Council of the
American Federation of Labor few
days ago issued broadcast the an
nouncement that organized labor
through its national organization
was fayoring the repeal OF the Vol
stead act, thus favoring the govern
ment legalizing the manufacture and
sale of beer and light wines. The
purpose of the plan proposed by the
Council is for Congress to establish
minimum alcoholic strength OF
beverages TO the degree that would
privilege the breweries and wineries
to operate full blast without coming
under the restrictions OF the Eish-
teenth amendment.
In other words, the Executive
Council OF the American Federation
would, by che leap, nulify one-half
perhaps, greater than >one-half--
the prohibitory law now in effect
denying the sale Of liquors. This,
simply, would mean the return of
the open saloon upon a far greater
scale than was ever before known
in the United States. 1t couldn't
mean anything else.
Organized labor is not going to
follow the lead prescribed by the
Executive Council in respect to lift
ing the ban upon the sale of booze
or light BOOZE If you please.
The average laboring man has just
as good and as clear perspective of
good government as members of the
Executive Council and he needs no
recommendation from that or any
other source to guide his steps in
relation to the adoption or abolish
ment of moral and economic law.
The laboring man knows as well
as every other sound thinking citizen
knows, that it would be utterly in
consistent to divorce the Volstead
act from the Eighteenth amendment
to the extent of legalizing the sale
of beer and wine and retain any OF
the prohibitory qualities Of the
Eighteenth amendment relating to
the manufacture of liquors and
their sale. Abolish the Volstead act
and the Eighteenth amendment
would automatically become nullified.
There's no way of getting around
that fact II the Volstead act is
wrong, the Eighteenth amendment
is also wrong. One would be killed
by y compromise of the other
Organized labor throughout the
nation viii resent the ruling of
the Executive Council. We are OF
the opinion the laboring people gem
orally do not appreciate the pre-
sumption thus advanced by chiefs
of the Federation in that respect.
AS evidence of the accuracy of that
opinion, we are publishing some
very definite expressions from the
Labor Union Bulletin, OF Little Rock,
the official State organ of The Amer
lean Federation Of Labor in Arkan-
sas. Here's what that union labor
ut is seldom indeed that we diff
fer with the conclusions of the Ex-
ective Board of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor, but we feel that
bition laws be amended to permit
the sale of beer and light wines is
q reactionary STEP We are not
speaking for or against prohibition
in saying this, but we do not be-
lieve that in this question there is
any halfway ground. There are
but two alternatives-wet or dry. !
We know, as every one must know, |
that prohibition laws have not been !
enforced as they ought to be, but |
this does not affect the right or
wrong Of prohibition itself In our
opinion legalizing the sale of beer
and wines would not lessen, but |
would increase the Illegal traffic in |
strong liquors, and probably mar
coticS also, and make it even more /
difficult than now to enforce the
laws against them. II prohibition /
ls right. it SHOULD be enforced nj
wrong, it should be repealed. And
II prohibition is right, it is an
worthy Of organized labor to oppose
It on the plea that its revocation
will create more jobs for idle men.
Labor should stand unflinchingly /
for the right, for in the long run
it has all to lose by upholding
wrong. even for temporary gain