The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-08-19
BY FREDERICK j. HAsK1N

WAOT1lNG 1OIN, aug. I'LL WI1lln6
a letter to a friend in 1889 Benjamin
Franklin said Of the constitution that
it gave promise of lasting, but he ad-
ded the qualification that in this
world nothing is certain but death and
taxes" Were the kite-flying philos-
opher and statesman alive today he
might add to this qualification For in
stance, he might include industrial
friction and conflict in his list of the
perennial and unacceptable things to
which human kind is heir.
Also, he might include prohibition
and the numerous ramifications and
side issues of that subject, for it ap-
pears that we are to have the prohibit
ton question always with U.S. There
were those who thought it was settled
when the eighteenth amendment was
adopted and the Volstead law was en-
acted. Not so! 1t hobs up every
where and all the time.
The vets are demonstrating that
/ they are lineal descendants OF the orig
| inal Orchards" Just now they are
| excited over a nationwide poll or
straw vote which to date has indicat-
ed a substantial majority sentiment
/ favoring the repeal of the prohibitory
amendment or some modification of
! the Volstead law and they are mar
shalling their forces for further tests
over the issue before the present SEES
sion of the congress is permitted tc
adjourn. At the same time the ques
ton is being injected into primary
contests and will be much heard OF
during the campaign that will close
with the November elections.
Senator Reeds denomination in Mis-.
souri, brought much comfort to the
vets, for he is outspokenly on theil
side of the question-one of the few
men prominent in public life who have
had the courage or the hardihood tt
take that Standard he was running
against an avowed dry candidate. Or
the other hand, the drys point oui
that there were other issues involves
in the Missouri contest and scout the
idea that any significance is to be at
/ tached to the result insofar as prohi
bition is concerned Thus the fire:
of argument are famed and the un
prejudiced-if there are any such
where this question is raised-ma!
take their choice of sides.
How Tests May
Be Made.
There are several ways Of bringing
about test votes when it is decided
that the time has come to put mem
hers of congress on record again. On
such is to tack on rider to the sol
diers' bonus bill providing for tn
manufacture and sale of light wine
and beer under tax sufficiently higl
to raise the funds necessary to pa.
the bonus. Such a move is to be ex
/ fa1 49,
be urged on the grounds that the sol
diers are entitled to the bonus, tina
, the only thing that stands in the wa
of this recognition of their services
lack of money, and that this littl
scheme will not only produce enoug
funds to meet this demand but wi
| provide a surplus for other govern
ment needs.
, This proposal may not get by. bu
! it will cause senators and represents
tives to do some heavy thinking befor
, they make up their minds which wa
! TO vote on it. 1t may be said to b
; loaded with several kinds of polite;
dynamite.
4 Another way of bringing the prob
bition issue to the fore again is in col
U nection with the ship subsidy bill.
c / is well known that government shiI
+ now being operated have bars an
: cater to the thirsty when they are GU
side the three-mile limit of the Unite
II States, as do the passenger vessels (
;, other nations. Whether this is a VOL
:, ton of the Volstead law has not bee
= definitely determined as yet, but it
a source of concern to the drys. Tt
lwets cite it as evidence that there
a growing sentiment against prohit
. ton, or the enforcement act, at leas
Otherwise, they say, government Off
: ials would not permit such a thing.
/: Various amendments can be pr
: posed to the subsidy measure that wi
: precipitate the issue. One might sti
: ulate that no subsidy should be pa
. to company which had bars or pc
mitted the sale of intoxicants on tt
. vessels which it operates. Anotht
/