The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-09-19
Bryan on Law Enforcement.
(From The Community Leader

tFIOm L ne community LeduGi.l
Whatever may be the individual
items which make up the shortcomings
of William Jennings Bryan, lack of
courage to express his convictions Is
not one Of them. Whether the silver
tongued orator IL philosophiZing on evo-
hutton or venting his mind on the sub
iect of prohibition, he Is sure TO com
mand attention.
In a recent address at Philadelphia
Mr.. Bryan made some remarks on the
enforcement of prohibition laws that
are worthy of any attention that may
be given them. In introducing his sub
iect Mr.. BRYAN alluded to the Tilden-
Haynes campaign, which, though set
tied by a single electoral vote, never
theless the country accepted the YER
diet cheerfullv. as true democracy
should. What about, prohibition! ?,
asks Mr., Bryan, II the Vets could
have held Il states they could have de
feated the amendment. We had to have
So More than that, we had to have
two branches of the legislature in Every
state ratified.
sNe had to have y branches in SO
states. They only had to have one
branch in IL states in order TO ratify.
Talk about the Vets not having a
chance in this country When did any
people in the minority have such a
chance as the Vets had?
That is the situation, as we have 1t
TO-DAY. ana yet lHe ptbFAG say NAdt Nit
law is not to be enforced, and now the
city newspapers, day after day. and
week after week have their editorials
encouraging lawlessness. You have IT
in your own city. Yesterday morning
| read in one of your city newspapers
that when the enforcement officers are
talking about the Intervention of the
people outside of the threc-mile line,
and that when the government Is try
ing to encourage respect Tor the law. 1t
ought to be very careful not ito violate
the law. and that we ought not to
think of DESTROYING the freedom of the
seas by interfering with anything 60
ing on outside of the threemile line
from the country.
Il think we ought to tell the nations
around us that if they want to show
their friendliness for us, they want to
show it in some other way than to send
over here those under their flag who con
spire against our laws on theirN soil.
And in order to make our protest an
active thing. we might protest against
our own people. and say mat whenever
any American citizen leaves the United
States and seeks the shelter of another
flag to protect him while he Is CON
spring against his own nation, we
ought to say to such citizen that he
can never come back again as citizen
of the United States. -
of this country can enforce the laws
whenever they want to do 50. The
question is. are they earnest enough
about it? We had a rule that allowed
beer to be used for while. And the
VETS thought it was ray of sunshine.
but it was moonshine. 1t was not
much of a ray and it did not shine long.
All that was necessary was that the
American people understood it. And
then. by n vote of more than two-thirds
in the house, and of SO to p in the sen
ate they declared that beer could not
be used as a medicine. and if anybody
thinks they can get beer back remem-
Der that YOU can't even get it as a
medicine. And so the strength of the
| sentiment is going on. And remember
| that the doctors of great. association
| took a vote recently and 70 per cent
Of them voted that beer vas not neees.
| sarv as medicine And 68 .per cent~of
| them voted that wine was not necessary
as medicine. And only 81 per cent
| of them voted that whisley was useful
as a medicine. Seventy years ago how
do Won think the vote would have stood
on thrse thinos? The country has
changed and there IS no possibility
| that this nation viii ever turn back
! and walIow in the mire."