Evening star., 1923-10-21
The President Gives Notice.

President Coolidge's speech to the
governors at the White House confer.
ence yesterday will carry conviction to
the country. 1t will demonstrate that
n is intent upon the enforcement of
the laws and the maintenance of the
Constitution. 1t will yield no comfort
to those who, hopeful of a disposition
to pass the responsibility for prohibi-
ton enforcement over to the state
executives. have been looking to this
meeting as marking a dispersion of
forces in their favor.
Enforcement of law and obedience
to law" says the President, "by the
very nature of our institutions, are not
matters of choice in this republic, but
the expression Of moral require
ment Of living in accordance with the
truth" This is the text of the address,
though contained in the final para
graph, which concludes: "They are
clothed with a spiritual significance in
which is revealed the life or the death
ment."
The American republic has survived
several serious crises. 1t has come
through a desperate struggle for sep
aration. 1t has grown stronger with
each victory over the elements of dis
integratiOn. 1t will now survive, still
stronger for the experience, the pres
ent attempt on the part of a small,
selfish and constituencies interest to
set aside the fundamental law and
the statues for its own personal
advantage.
To the American people, says the
President, 1.-The law is a rule of ac-
ton" To them he now, through the
governors Of the states, appeals. The
executives, state and federal, are re-
quired to enforce the law. But the
people must aid. They must CO.
operate. They must obey the law
themselves and endeavor to bring all
to the same standard Of good citizen
ship.
Thus the problems of enforcement,
says the President. must be taken di-
rectly to the people. This is their gov
ernment, and these laws are their
laws. Thus does Mr.. Coolidge describe
them:
They are not a nation of inebriates;
they are not a people who can be
charged with being hypocrites. They
have no patience with anarchy. They
are sober, frank and candid people.
They have respect and reverence for
duly constituted authority.
These fundamental conceptions are
great body of the people are thorough
ly abiding. This great law-abid-
ESng elemen: of the nation is entitled
TO support and protection. 1 propose
to give that support and protection to
the lint provided by the Constftu-
tion and the law of the land against
every law csS element. The executives
are required to enforce the law.
This is not to be regarded as a
pledge, but rather as a frank state
ment Of fact. There has been no rea-
son to look for anything else from the
President. He construes the duty of
his office as requiring him to execute
the laws. He proposes to do it. This
enforcement is difficult. The lawless
certain parts of the country it appears
10 nave the support or large part
of the people. But even in a commu-
nifty which is rated as wet" where
the law is fagrantly defied and vio-
lated, there is a large, and probably a
majority. sentiment in favor Of en-
forcement. Those who believe in the
law, whatever it may be. who have
respect for the Constitution, who are,
| 1t is to be prayed and is to be believed,
the greater part Of the people, are
now hoping for action, by state and
federal authorities, to carry out the
principles which President Coolidge
has. so strongly and clearly stated,
principles which lie at the roots of the
American institutions.