The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1922-12-01
Declare Grand Old Party Will
Return to Pristine Wallowing
in the Mire.
WISH FATHERS THOUGHT
Legislature to be Asked to Me-
moralize 9th Congress to Re-
peal Volstead Act.

'S Pai'y VI 4NeW Jersey
have accepted the defeat of their can
didates for United States senator and
governor as a mandate from the
people that New Jersey is opposed to
the Prohibition amendment and the
Volstead law. These leaders are said
to have declared their intention of de-
handing that the legislature which is
overwhelmingly Republican repeal
the Prohibition enforcement code de-
signed to make the Volstead law
operative i'll New Jersey and adopt a
resolution memorialzing Congress to
repeal the Volstead law.
The Anti-Saloon League OF New
Jersey declares that this demand
comes merely from a few Republican
leaders who have always been out OF
sympathy with the Prohibition policy
and its enforcement, and in a public
statement the League presents several
reasons why the Republican leaders
should not become panic stricken.
Attention is called to the fact that the
rank and file of the Republican party
is dry and in thorough accord with
dry law enforcement.
a Republican legislature enacted the
present enforcement code in fulfill
ment OF pledge given the people,
pledge which Influenced the voters to
elect Republican legislature.
Every primary election OF recent
years has demonstrated the fact that
the drys in the Republican party arc
in the majority The present legis-
lature is Republican two to one and
was elected on a party platform
pledging strict enforcement of the
Prohibition law and unimpairmcnt of
that law. The statement from the
Anti-Saloon League declares that il
the Republican majority in the legis-
lature listens to these few wet Re-
publican politicians the party will
commit hara-k;ri The statement
reads
There are several rea IONS why the
Republican leaders and legislators
should keep their heads at this time
if they do not wish to idi back into
the miro and let Hudson county rule
the other twenty, counties of the
state: laH t
The first of these reasons should
be regard for personal and party
honor.
Failure to keep promise makes
man pariah on the stock exchange;
and there is proverb about honor
even among thieves Are politicians
even less honorable?
In 1920 the Republicans promised
the voters impartial enforcement of
the Eighteenth Amendment and the
laws relating thereto. and they were
elected with an overwhelming major
ity.
I'm 1921 they rcaffirmed this decla-
ration and again the voters returned
them to power, trusting that they
would keep their promises-which
they did by enactng as party
measures the Prohibition enforcement
laws now. on our statute books.
In 1922 the Republican platform
promised to stand unequivocally for
the preservation of the Constitution
and enforcement laws without i'm
pairment.' Again the voters believed
their promises and at time when
heads of the ticket were slaughtered
for various grievances the Republicans
were given a two to one control Of
the legislature.
"Of course as honorable men and
women they will keep faith with the
people and not be enticed by Edwards,
Hague, Nugent ct ais, into the camp
OF wine, women and song"
The second reason for not listen
ing to the panic stricken wet minority
is discretion or consideration for
political and party safety.
The majority of voters in the Re-
publican party are dry. They have
proved this in many a hard fought
primary contest. For FIVE years in
succession they demonstrated this in
Essex county. This year in Essex
county there was no wet faction and
the twelve assembly candidates who
were elected made their appeal to the
voters as extra dry and pledged
themselves if elected to stand firmly
for the maintenance of our present
state enforcement laws. They were
nominated as drys and elected as drys
and of course both honor and discre-
ton dictate that they be not recreant
to their promises. Any other course
would be fatal to future jobs for some
years to come for such recreant Re-
publican politicians; ,ney would go
jobless while the Democrats would
riot in plenty of jobs. The big mass
of drv ReDf1b1icans arc more oatriots