Evening star., 1922-11-18
The Prohibition Vote Seems More
or Less Incidental.


The effect Of the vote which was
directed toward prohibition modifica-
ton In the recent election has been
studied more or less carefully by
editors throughout the country. and.
as usual, when q problem of such
magnitude Is presented. It is impos-
sible to find a common ground for
agreement.
In one suggestion, however. all find
a ground for unanimity, and that is
| that the issue cannot become vital
during the life either Of the present
Congress or in the early days OF
| that which is to come" The presi-
Dental campaign Of 1894 will get it
and then it will be determined wheth-
| er it Is to be an issue Of itself or one
! to be reckoned with merely as con-
taining portentous possibilities.
Prohibition" the New York Times
says, was given to the country by
both political parties and both Will
probably be extremely deliberate
about to amy aa ahe Ne%
York Evening World. however. Is dis
tinctly opposite to this in that this
newspaper insists "there WAS a pop
ular verdict, and no uncertain YER
dict. either: Slowly the country Is
regaining its balance t,In It finds 81 tyfs IT.
While the Syracuse Herald does not
expect any legislation during the
next two years. the attempt TO I'D
eralise" the volstead act will be b
serious enough to inject the issue OF
general election in many states"
ThA "real question" in Massachu.
setAs, where a majority voted agains,
making an act similar to the Volsteao
~" oninion of the Springfield Union,
distfnctly whether the voter favored
Tolstead rules. and it argues that
"npon that question the verdict was
so conclusive as to leave no DOUBT
as to the preponderance OF paSitc ph
eenth amendment in other states be-
sides Massachusetts, had been re-
ferred directly to the peopn 1t may
weil be questioned whether the
amendment would have been so'-
The strength of the present move
n.nt" tha Baltimore News is con-
vinced. 'is very different from that
Of the forces which strove to night
prohibition off four years ago 1t
arises after a hard test OF the merits
of national prohibition enforcement,
thousht would be failure. Pre-.
aousiy the federal authority had
neen thought invincible. None
dreamed of such impotence as has
been disclosed and the impotence
to prohibit has been only sn, soafqundse px ase
constitutional and statutory impo-
fsnce to remedy conditions by re-
sort to regulation.v The trend in
the country Is also toward restora-
tion Of personal liberty" as the the
Buffalo Times sees sees II, I,nSsei 6sSa'ss of the the
tremendous burden Of expense; In
the three years of its trial volstead-
ism and its enforcement have cost
the country ten billions OF dollars.
A leading factor in the national pro-
test against It was the n IN indisnat,o1 nacH ION
and ruin to which the volstead act
and the recent rulings for enforce
meut Of 1t on our ships have con-
demned the American merchant
80 As a protest "the result chronicled"
az the Mobile Register is concerned:
ut does not show that widespread
revolt against prohibition that the
vote throughout the country shows
against republican leadership, anu -
is not likely to make any profound
impression upon Congress" Regard,
less Of personal opinion. It would
seem to be the view Of the Roanoke 9k
question should recognise that, after
ali, the electors Will must prevail
because "this matter of prohibition
rests in, its last analysis with the
voter, and election days results
plainly show that In many quarters
said voter is slipping" Probably the
nth word" on the subject. from the
dry side at least, comes from former
Secretary of the Navy Daniels news
paper, the Raleigh News and observ-
Or, which declares that "ths amend.
states will remain in the Constitu-
tion. No legislation permitting the
sale Of ,intoxicants VIII pass Con.
gress and no such legislation could
stand on appeal to the courts" To
which positive insistence the Chi
cago Tribune interposes its sugges-