Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-06-14
NuLLIEIcATIoN LIFTS ITs UGLY HEAD AGAIN

MULTIPLICATION LIFTS IT'S UGLY HEAD AGAIN
It is a long descent from Governor Grover Cleveland
to Governor Al Smith The one Stood IN the MIDST Oh
national crisis for the observance OF ms oatn OF oIe
in execution of the federal laws against the
protests of his own days anarchists and deagogues
The other dsregardng his oath to see to 1T that the laws
are executed signs the repeal OF the one law when Wou
enable him. as governor to fulfill his highest oblgatlon
in respect to law powerfully resisted not only by tnose
conscenousy opposed to it, but by powerful financial
and political interests which making millions out OF
it's violation.
The issue involved is not of prohibition but OF
law and ORDER Upon that issue Governor Smith in full
firnent we are told of campaign promises definitely
aigns himself with the forces of aWlessness Out OF
sympathy with provision OF the federal Constltuton
adopted with the legal sanction of his commonwealth
he asserts the right of faction which does not agree
with the provisions of the Constitution to defy them OF
state to withdraw itself from the jurisdiction OF the
Union Despite all the hypocrtica hair splitting intend
ed befog the ISSUE that the question at stake In
deed the doctrine of defiance of federal law openly
proclaimed by of the Governors political mt1mates
and of the leaders Of the national party at
the hearing which resulted in Governor Smiths decision
to sign the law enforcement repeal bill.
The action of Governor Smith is invitation to the
bootlegger the moonshner the smuggler and liquor law
vioIators in general to tner 1t invites orgy
of open awessnes in the chief state OF the Union and
advertises the sympathetic attitude of the state under
Governor Smith toward liquor awlessness and law break
erS.
There is a legal orderly and constitutional way to
repeal the Volstead act eliminate the prohibition
amendment from the federal Constitution That method
is not of putting constituent state of the federal
Union into open opposition national authority That
method went down before the armies of the Union in
1865 bootleggers rebellion is less respectable than
slave holders rebellion.
1t is evident that this action of Governor Smith
was staged to ISSUE Judging from the violent
language in which Governor Smith denounces those who
believe that New York allegiance to the federal
laws, there any doubt about his keeping his
bargain with the interests which backed him in 1922 on
the understanding that federal statutes would be fouted
in of Smiths election governor Yet he posed for
month pretending to be in doubt to his final action
and staging spectacular hearing at the finish in order
Ia cal TO hiS act of
Governor Al Smith has not created new ISSUE
But he has revived OLD one dealt with George Wash
nyon when he suppressed Shays rebellion and by Abra
ham Lincoln when he stamped out the doctrine OF Multi
fcaon and secession On side arrayed those who
believe in law and order and the other those who pc
Heve in lawessness and disorder The challenge to
provision of the Constitution and federal law involves
challenge to all and laWesSness condoned by the state
in respect to one law will quickly spread to all laws Null
ifcation has been dragged from the grave in which it
was inferred at Appomatox and in far less noble and
righteous cause than that which cost the nation vast
an outpourng of blood and treasure in the sixties.
President Harding has already indicated his attitude
toward this notification He knows official obi
cation other than his oath of office, his duty to
to it that the laws executed regardless of the
difference the opposition of any state
them The two by reason of recent events, stand
forth as the opponents Of two theories of executive duty
the one for law and the other for notification of law
Every citizen who has at stake any personal or prop
ery right matter how he may feel the question of
prohibition should give deliberate consideration to the
consequences OF his course before agning himself with
the general OF notification and defiance of law.
If one law may be nued and defied today another near
to the heart and to the interests of opponents of
prohibition be deed tomorrow. The whole structure
OF civilization in the city of New York. the state of New
York and throughout the country upon the obser
of law by the citizen and the enforcement of law
by the official When this duty is abandoned by citizen
and official the result inevitably is in
respect not only to law but to all laws only to
guarantee of the Constitution, but all guarantees
and provisions
The sober minded people of New York who have
something at stake in the maintenance of existing nsti
buttons should be the last support condone the policy
of notification of federal law New York has huge and
restless population which may at time be moved
under the sway OF demagogues to extreme measures of
appropriation against which only constitutional guara
tees may be invoked The precedent of state notification
set today at some time justify Spies Trotzy
in trampng upon the federal Constitutions guarantees
to each state of republican form of government and
against the seizure of property taking of life without
due process of law Fortunate then if have in the
White House Cleveland Harding, rather than an
Altgeld Al Smith
If the prohibition provision of the federal Constitu
ton is wrong repeal it. If the VoIstead act providing
for its enforcement wrong, repeal that But let all this
be done in the regular orderly Americanway Defiance
of existing laws by state officials is notification
sion anarchy 1t is un-American Such awlessness no
citizen who the security of life and property in this