The Alaska daily empire., 1923-06-27
MUST ENFORCE THE LAW, OF COURSE.

Those who oritcise the Administration for its determination to enforce the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act critcising those who are trying comply with their oaths of office to support the Constitution and laws of the country. Of course President Harding will endeavor to enforce both of them. The Eighteenth Amendment is part of the supreme law and the Volstead Act was regularly paaood under it and it has held be valid by the Supreme Court. There is nothing else for the President to do unless it shall after earnest effort thall have been made, prove to be impossible to do 70 Ii is that in a large part of the country Fifteenth Amendment is dead letter, and il has been so for nearly a half century. However it was years before the Government ceased it's efforts to enforce it. and it used the military branch of the Government in the efforts 10 do It finally abandoned when the Force Bill talked 10 death during the Harrison Administration quarter of a century after the end Of the Civil War It is to be hoped that the Volstead Act will be modified before shall have had quarter of a century of turmoil and costly experience under it. but while it is the ntatue books the President and his Administration do nothing less than attempt its enforcement and attempt it in earnest and good faith. That what it is doing. General Grant said the best way to bring about the repeal amendment of un- popular law was 10 enforce it. All liberal and other wise, should welcome the efforts the President is putting forth.
 On the other hand tho Presidents statement quoted in the Associated Press dispatches that the acticn of New York in repeating the prohibition foreemcnt act in that State is something does fit in with history It is by no means the first time State has refused to aid in the enforcement of Con- ttutiona amendment, is it the first time State has refused to back up laws of Congress Many Southern States not only did aid in the enforce ment of the Fifteenth Amendment but they passed laws that practically nullifed that Constitutional provision Many Northern States passed laws that forbade State officers from giving aid in the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law New York haf not gone as far that. The Governor in his memorandum accompanying his signature of the re- peal bill said in many words that the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volsead Act are in force in New York and that it is the duty of every peace officer in that State to aid the Federal officers 10 en- fierce them. His conclusion in this and other legal points involved is backed up by many of the leading that have been brought about in New York is that hose accused of violating the Volstead Act must now be prosecuted in the Federal courts and they cannot be twice placed in jeopardy for the same act There is no reason why New York should be spend- ing many millions to enforce Federal law that the people CT that State opposed to-and we must assume that the Legislature and Governor of the State have correctly represented the people par- ticularly when consider that one branch of tbe
 We believe that both President Harding and Governor Smith right in what they are doing The President is right in endeavorng to support the Constitution and laws of the country and Governor Smith is right in his attitude as to the relations between the separate States and the Federal Gov