Evening star., 1923-10-12

The entire country seems to be
watching with considerable interest
the fight between the saloonkeepers
of Philadelphia on the one hand and
Gov. Plnchot and the Department OF
Justice on the other When the led
era1 and state governments joined
hands a short while back to close UP
the rum shops Of the anthracite ols-
trict they met with some success, be-
cause the majority of the dealers
closed up their so-calied "near-oeer
barrooms But now the Liquor
Dealers Association of Philadelphia.
an organization that has survived
yolsteadism, has announced the au-
thorities have no right to close their
places of business. They say shey
have been selling only soft drinks
and when Gov. Pinchot in person VIs-
tied a number to tell them that ne
would apply the paddock law, wnlcn
would shut the establishments LOT
year, they simply laugheo d III IN
The question which seems 10 pe IN
teresting the country Is whe'nT re- ann,iad
Injunction proceedings can be appiiso
here on the original evidence gatn.
cred nv special agents or Wnether IL
shall be necessary to get new
dence to warrant issuance OF tuS
function closing near-beer estaonsn
y,oants as nuisances. Should the Tor
mer hold true, and the Governor y,
pennsylyania says it will, tnen II 10
iikeiv the method will be tried IN
number of other large cities "hefe
wet sentiment still holos io tast come
III is we'll to have the test coihe
now" The Star pointed out, TO ues
termfne whether the governments %
the United States and or the stat,s
of Pennsylvania can De oeneu
success" The Scranton Ilmes, move
the move will be effective in actuallyf
stonnine the sale of liquor OF
whether, like IN Scranton, saloohnaeh
will simply move upstairs ana con-
tinue to do business as usuaI, i eve e
a. little less OPEN. Ine Di..
that "of the iron hand. en &C tha
burgh Sun holds, but as iong as ene
executive acts within the law TO en-
force the law there can be no coin-
nlaint. The Pennsylvania enforce,
ment law and the Voisteao aGI snoo sn1.oa
be enforced in this state enLotc
ment heretofore has been largely 1ar
cical. If we are now TO nave q o.
test Of real prohibition there can pe
no protest from good citizenship
x * X x
"Padlocking is the chief weapon the
government has to enforce prohiol-
ton" the Newark News argues al
though that weapon has not been
effectively used in New Jersey up 10
the, present time" 1t Is because Oh
the drastic powers the injunction
gives, the Springfield Republican says
that the Pennsylvania experiment Is
being watched so closely, .inasmuch
as "this method of enforcing. prom
hilton in the cities Is now mucn Ia
yored In this country today tnete
exists probably the most g1gantlc
conspiracy in American history
against the enforcement OF particu-
lar set of laws. 1t is enormously ~ ~
should so courageously begin an OF
fensive, against the intrenched put
lawiess rum trade of the city OF
Philadelphia. His slogan is. "The law
is supreme People who are Tor law
enforcement In the abstract, but VINO
want this particular law so discreoit-
ed by failure that its repeal VIII De
forced, cannot sympathize Wien GoN'
Pinchot;> but all who sincerely pc
lieve that the possibilities or a law
should be tested by the fair and nom
est enforcement of it will wish hlm
good fortune and godspeed." Ampli-
tying this statement somewhat, the
Boston Christian Science Monitor de-
clares mo single concrete example OF
disobedience to the law has more
clearly illustrated the purpose. and
intent of those who for 50 many
decades dehed all reasonable regula-
tory measures than this defiance by
a mere handful of soutlawed saloon
keepers. 1t may: be, that. after. ALL
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