The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1923-12-28
Steady and Substantial Progress Made in Judicial and Ex
ecutiye Branches in Past Years AntiIiquor Warfare
GREATEST FORWARD STEP In EXECUTIVE FIELD
WHEN PRESIDENT, GOVERNORS, MAYORS ACTED
Vets We're Unable to Recover Any Lost Ground Twelve Months Of
Desperate Fighting Against the Law


Steady progress in the field of pro-
hibition enforcement was made during
the year 1928. While no spectacular
events marked the prohibition ad-
vance there was a strong and steady
forward movement which established
prohibition much more firmly in its
place as the permanent policy of
America The importance of prohibit
ton victories during the past year may
be seen more clearly when the devel-
opments in the. three great depart
ments of American government are
studied In all three departments,
the legislative, the judicial and the
executive, great forward strides were
made. In all three departments vic
tories OF far-reaching Importance
came to the drys and no serious losses
were sustained by them. After the
adoption of the Eighteenth Amend
mert and the enactment of federal
and state enforcement statutes the
wet and dry struggle shifted into the
judicial and executive fields. The
chief dry victories soon latter the
Eighteenth Amendment became law.
were won when the United States SUI
preme Court sustained the Eighteenth
Amendment and the national prohibi-
ton act. The next great test OF pro-
hibtion came in the executive field.
Third Enforcement Stage
With prohibition established by the
legislative department OF government
and sustained by the judicial depart
ment all that remained was its effec-
tive application by the executive de-
partment Nineteen twcnty-three be-
held decisive victories for the drys i'll
this field. On June Is, Warren O..
Harding, as President OF the United
States, in an address at Denver, came
out four-squarc for prohibition en-
forcement He pledged the executive
DOWpI vi lllN lNd1l al SoNNiii -
the support of the law and called upon
all executives to enforce prohibition i'll
accordance with their Obligations TO
support the Constitution. President
Calvin Coolidge i'll his first annual
message to Congress also gave notice
that the executive power of federal
government would be directed against
the lawless liquor traffic and called
on all executives to help enforce the
law.
State Executives Meet
The conference of governors called
by President Coolidge to consult on
prohibition enforcement was another
event Of great Importance i'll the eX-
ecutive field. The governors as chief
executives of their respective states
went on record almost unanimously in
support of prohibition enforcement.
To the action of the president of the
United States and governors of vari-
Gus states has been added the strength
OF local executives i'll the enforcement
fight.
Dever Sets National Example
The outstanding development in this
field was the action of Mayor Dever
OF Chicago who on September l8
commenced an aggressive drive
against liquor lawlessness in the city
of Chicago. Mayor Dever's success
full example has already been of ines
Unable value throughout the nation
in the enforcement fight. Prior to
Mayor Dever's determined stand for
law enforcement other cities in Illinois
won important victories through the
election of mayors on law enforce
ment platforms. Quincy, Decatur,
Springfield, Danville and many other
OF the larger cities in Illinois elected
executives pledged to enforce prohi-
bition. Already these executives have
been able to make substantial progress
in the enforcement field.
Federal Agents More Effective
During 1923 there was noticeable
change in the character of federal en-
forcement officials appointed through