The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-28
With Other Editors
PROHIBITION AND RESPECT FOR
LAW.
(From Chicago Tribune.)


people toward prohibition and the Volstead act
is giving President Harding much concern 1t
is announced that he and his cabinet are
alarmed by the widespread violations of the
enforcement act and by the moral condoning
of such lawlessness The president fears that
the respect for all law will be weakened to the
great injury of the nation. There is that dan
ger, although it is not so great in fact as it
might seem in theory.
Vice President Coolidge, speaking Of regu-
lation by law in general and not of liquor pro-
hibition specifically, sayA: Reform does NOT
begin with law; it ends with law" That
applies with particular truth to the liquor stu
ation.
The great body Of law affecting life in this
country rests upon the almost unanimous con-
sent of the people. 1t represents the expert
ence of mankind, the essential needs of human
life, and the will of the people. We doubt if
majority of crooks would vote for the repeal
of laws protecting property and life. They try
to beat the law, but they know that society
could not exist without it and that they VINO
live by violating law could not live without it.
No such consent backs the Volstead act. In
many states it is opposed by the majority of
citizens and in others it is Endorsed by small
majority. In the recent elections Ohio voted
against modification of the volstead act by
$4,000 to 10000. There is majority for
strict and complete prohibition shown in that
vote, but it is small majority to impose regu-
lation of habit upon SO large body of citizen
ship which resents it. A sensible prohibition
ist would hardly say that the slim majority rep
resents the margin of virtue over vice The
United States could exist only short time if
that were the case. California voted for en-
forcement, 100000 to s7sspo, again majority
which did not represent overwhelming opin-
ion. The minority is a large section of the citir
zenship which resents the imposition Of pro-
hibition.
These were the conspicuous wins for strict
enforcement. The defeats we're more conspicu-
Gus. They were in Illinois. New York, New
Jersey, and Massachusetts, Reform did not
precede the law. 1t began with the law, not in
all states but in many. William Allen White
says that Kansas does not need prohibition
law. There the law is the perfect end of a re-
form 1t is the will of the people, 1t is not
the will of the people in New York, New Jersey.
Illinois, and many other states.
Where 1t is not the will of the people thew
dissent and do not comply Many of them feel
that there has been an attack upon their free
dom of conscience and their right of personal
decision, and they feel that this attack is a ser
ious offense against American principles, Law
has no moral sanction when it creates such a
situation.
Disregard Of law did not begin with the at
titude of people toward the volstead act In
illinois the drys do not want Chicago to have
additional representation in the legislature.
They believe that would mean additional wet
votes. II the legislature obeyed the law it
would redistrict the state. If it did so Chicago
would have more districts and more votes. It
Is mandatory upon the legislature to redistrict
after every federal census. That is one of the
mandates which the members Of the leRislature
swear to obey when they take the oath of Of
flee.
There has been no obedience to this man
date since the census of 1900 Men have taken
the oath OF Office knowing that they intended
to violate It and were perjuring themselves in
swearing that they would uphold the constitu-
ton. The active prohibitionists Of the state
concur In this. although this violation Of law
deprives people Of the representation which il
theirs BY the highest right. ~
Law makers must have some respect for
law themselvsa> It must not violate fundamen-
tai principles. That is the beginning Of trou-
BILE.