The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-04
By ROY A. HAYNES United States Prohibition (
 Iuisai0uer

l
 i Against the enforcement of prohi- i bition there stands a triple entente. ! The parties to it have their own an tagonisms and antiquities. Among them old feuds exist. Holding daggers between their teeth for one another, they make war together against the law by every foul means known. l. These are the members of the ] Dribund of Definance. the League for Belittling the Constitution of the 1 United States:
 i First is the remnant of the old or ganization of manufacturers and deal | CTS in liquor In pre- prohibition days, learning nothing by experience, for 1 getting nothing, wearing in it's heart | a Bourbon hope of it's return to the throne of debauchery form which it i was hurled by the wrath of the Amer lean people.
 Second, the organization of the il- licit liquor trade in all it's sinuous, slimy branches.
 l Third, the organization for pro- paganda against the law and the con- stitution.
 Here is a trinity of tremendous power Of the three, the most dan- gerous and the most powerful is the organization for propaganda-it wears the robes of responsibility and goes under the guise of honored names. o o O
 "Nowhere Any Visible Head"
 In each of the three classes there are numerous smaller organizations, and all of them are thrown together fin league as loose as that of the old Greek free states, yet as solid as the Roman legions in the days of their imperial power. There is nowhere any visible head or responsible agent The three great organizations deny relationship with one another. Many of the smaller groups within each of them openly repudiate allegiance to the parent organization. From the outside the whole mighty fabric seems fragile as a cobweb. From the in- side it is as tenacious, as impen- etrable, and yet as flexible as a coat of chain armor.
 The careful observer has found no way to make fish of one and flesh of another. It is one mess of meat un- clean. Upon the whole of it is the thefts and murders of the illicit H. quor trade, but the spirit of nullificae Ition and of treason.
 Caught in this web of iniquity are many good men, great men, but de- luded men, some of them undoubt- edly insane men. There is no other explanation for the man of once mighty intellect who cannot see that to cripple CT repeal the enforcement laws is to nullify the constitution of the United States, and that to | advocate such a course is the essence of treason.
 TO many of the individual propa- gandsts we must concede honesty of purpose. To many of the cid liquor manufacturers and dealers a similar statement is due. Some of them have long ago gone definitely into other pursuits and now give no thought to the old, outlawed busi- ness. The bulk of the thers strictly obey the law to the extent that they 1 refrain from manufacturing or sell ing illegally. But many have not abandoned the hope that they can force a return of "the goods old days" and in that hope they join hands with the vicious propagandist who essays, not the impC Cssible task of repeating the amendment. but the
 seemingly easier one of nullifying
 .he constitution by weakening or
 setting aside the enforcement l statutes.
 Sincere and Insincere. 1 Altogeth agandists both sincere and insincere, hopeful former manufacturers both law-abiding and ! law ng-they play the game or the bootlegger whom they do not 1 love when they foster a belief that the prohibition laws cannot be en- forced. The illicit liquor fraternity would like to have the law remain as it is The propagandists and many of the old liquor forces want It changed. All such work together to | build up a spirit of lawlessness and disco ntent with the present order Of things The wind Of sedition blows neither enforcement officials nor the public can tell whence it came, but the force of it is felt in corruption. l Within the enforcement organiza- tion We count the cost by the names of our men dishonored, weak meS and few in number, who could not withstand the strain of temptation 1 placed in their way by one division or another of the Entente of Defi- ance I have spoken elsewhere, with d sorrowful and pardonable pride, of | the list of enforcement agents who lost their lives in upholding the law. 1 l must speak now with deeper sor- 1 row of those who in that same cause | lost their honor, and of the tempta- tions that drove them to it. In mercy 1 to the weak. l refrain from turning l the page which would reveal the 1 names of those who have fallen by the wayside. Of the offenses they paper men, who have been a part Of 1 the party throughout. Then there are 6 enlisted men and two officers of the army and navy composing the
 guard of honor
 The Rev. James F. West, pastor or ithe First Baptist church of San Fran