The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-02
WOULD DODGE DRY ISSUE AT POLLS
Senator Pepper Says It's Up To Federal And State 0f-
 ficerS To Enforce Law

CHICAGO, Nov. 1.-Senator George Wharton Pepper of Pennsylvania told the Women's Roosevelt Republi- can club of Illinois tonight that pro hibition enforcement is, perhaps at the moment the greatest national question: but that it is not likely to be a party issue. Speaking on a variety of subjects that are eX- pected to come before the senate this winter Senator Pepper said that the cleavage between those who earn estly desire the success of our great national experiment and those who are thirsting for its failure, Is as marked in one party as in the other.
 Tt is the manifest duty of all executive officers of state and na- ton to use all the resources at their command to make the law a reality and not a sham" said the Pennsyl- vania senator. Tt is likewise the plain duty of senators ana other pup lie men to reinforce the executive arm by official act and personal example. This as a mater of course. I have heard a lot of talk about amending the Volstead act but l have never seen a concrete proposal on the subject, which seemed to me either socially wise or constitutional ly sound.
 q have enough confidence in the judgment and self control of our people to believe that in ten years time those who now break the law will either have changed their point of view, died or become unpopular
 Meanwhile it, of course, Is to De expected that the party out of power in state or nation will taunt the party in power with laxity or worse; and that state officers will blame their enforcement deficiencies upon the nation and that the nation will re- gurgitate upon the states.
 T thank God, in this great matter as well as in others. that the helm of the ship of state is in the hands of a pilot whose feet are firm upon the deck, whose eyes are upon the channel, whose ears are open to the voice of duty and closed to all who would distract him from it's per formance-our President, Calvin Coolidge.
 Boost For Mellon.
 Touching on the proposal to make Congress instead of the supreme court the judge of whether statute conforms to the constitution, Senator Pepper said the constitution was the body of good resolutions for national living, solmnly adopted by the fathers.
 Womens' organizations will press a lot of constitutional amendments, Senator Pepper said. "The tendency of some women," he went -on, seems to be embodied into the constitution what at the moment most concerns them. If we are going to treat our constitution as if were piece Of needle e-point, let us be sure that our design is good and our colors well selected. Otherwise it may be neces- sary hereafter to lip out our work.
 Taking up revenue problems, Penn sylvania senator said Secretary Melons management of the treasury had been so extraordinarily able "that we ought to be able to make a heavy cut in taxation next year.
 Declaring that the senate would be intent On measures for farmers, re- lief, marketing and selling associa- tions, cooperative agencies of Varl- ous sorts rural credits and proposals for price fixing, the senator sald: "A lot of fun has been poked at the farm bloc in the senate and much valid criticism has been leveled at the use of the bloc on the ground that it is destructive of party gov ernment. But after all is said, the farm bloc senators have done the country a great service in tocusanS attention upon the most serious prob- lem of them all"
 Taking up industrial problems Senator Pepper said with regard to compulsory railroad consultations, that the prevailing opinion was that unless the science of eugenics could be applied to railroads the govern ment might easily bring together lot of ill-sorted couples and that fruits of such unions might become formidable charge upon the public Voluntary consolidation under the supervision of the interstate com merce commission, was more in fa- vor, he said.
 The senator speaking on foreign affairs said he should like to see the nations in the League of Nations give the court of international justice to the world by electing the judges by an electorial council and by electorial assembly of all states eligible for league membership, whether actually members of the league or not.