New Britain herald., 1923-10-22
THE rnEslnENrs PLAN.

THI PRESIDENTS PLAN.
 When the "eonferenee Of govern
 ors" was planned some time ago, |
 was emphasized that enforcement Q
 all law would be discussed. not en
 forcement Of the prohibition law alone. Again it has been emphasize, that this was the purpose of the con
 ference. but few believe that ther' would have been any conference at al at this time had it not been for th' necessity Of some action or gesture regarding the Voistead law. And to- day. after this conference has beer held. and after President Coolidge hal spoken to the governors clearly and simply, stating In language foreeful fl general, that all law must be en. forced. tho situation remains about as it was before the conference was held True. there has been spectacle Of considerable display by some govern ors of a lack Of sympathy with the
 
 movement, and true it is that the plan as laid down offers no new thoughts on the subject. Neverthe- the conference has been held-and that's that.
 The President urges National, State and municipal cooperation in the en- forcement of the law and urges the press to lend it's great power to aid ing the cause. He emphasizes the fact. readily admitted, that the peo- pie of this country are decent people and anxious for the most part to obey the law. It is on this reasoning that he places the duty of law enforce ment on everyone.
 Law enforcement" is general term. No public man and no pub licity organ, no public print would or has come out against law enforce nent. Moreover no person in his sane mind would state that he be- lieved honestly there should be any 1et-up in Flaw enforcement" It is q general principle to which every per son in this country clings as the only safe creed to obtain. Without Jaw enforcement" our liberty would not | be worth anything at all.
 The forbidding of the manufacture ard sale of intoxicating liquor has been made part of the fundamental law of the land by an amendment to the constitution. {. That prohibition is fixed in the constitution. Congress has attempted to interpret that amendment. Many have criticised such interpretation; practically no re- sponsible person has advocated disre- garding that interpretation and break ing that law But to say that it is wrong, in a state such as this which failed to ratify the amendment but which did pass an enforcement law, to criticize the Volstead law, is as ridicu- lous as it is to say that smiling over some of the obsolete laws on our statute books shows "disrespect for the law
 And, in state where hundreds of people are being stopped on the high way and being searched for contra band liquor where there is not the slightest suspicion attached to them; in state where recently funeral procession was stopped, the coffin taken from the hearse and search made for liquor--is a state like this where such things are happening, a Iree people certainly have right to ,riticise law under which such vio- ent transgressions against the rights ,f individuals are committed. En- orce the law in a proper manner Y most certainly! Meanwhile cooper ' lte, not only in enforcement, but in U erious consideration of the propriety a f this interpretive enactment of Con- v -ress. VI