The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-10-25
PLEDGE COOLIDGE
HELP ON DRY LAW
WrangleS Mark the West Baden
Convention and Gov. Parker
of Louisiana Bolts.
VOTE is CALLED UNANIMOUS
But Several Executives objected-siI-
ger Declares Federal Enforcement
Fails-Predict President Will
Avoid General Declaration.

West Baden, Ind.-Discarding con-
ference tradition of fifteen years
standing, majority of the fffty-two
state and territorial governors, in con-
vention here, took their first record
vote in passing a resolution endors-
ing national prohibition and pledging
to President Coolidge "our fullest CO.
operation" in the enforcement of the
Volstead act.
The action came as the climax of a
three-hour session of fiery debate, Par
Elementary tangles and perplexing
manoeuvres, in which several COVER
nors fought throughout to block the
vote
After the session the Executives left
for Washington to lay their statement
before President Coolidge at the
luncheon conference.
To-day America passed over the hill
on the prohibition question" Governor
Sweet of Colorado, who introduced the
resolution, said
On a vive voce vote in which no
opposing voice was heard by the chair
man or the official reporters, the reso-
luton was formally reported as "unan
imously adopted" This ruling was
made by Governor Bavter of Maine,
who presided.
The adoption of the resolution was
followed by the resignation of Gov
ernor Parker of Louisiana from the
conference. He had declared at the
opening of the debate that vote on
the resolution would call for his imme-
date resignation, and as the din of
"Yeas" greeted the putting of the
question he walked from the room. He
was a member of the Washington
party, however, when the train began
it's journey, and said that he would
attend the Presidents conference.
Text of the Resolution
The resolution reads:
To the President,
White House,
Washington, D. c.
Mr.. President:
Observance of law is the fundamen-
tai basis of American citizenship and
enforcement of law is the primary
duty of every official.
National prohibition is now, by con-
stitutional amendment, the law of our
land. An Overwhelming majority of
the citizens of the United States are
law-abiding and DESTROYS of the en-
forcement of law
The national Government alone has
control of the manufacture of intoxi-
cants and has very special obliga-
ton to perform in prohibiting the
Importation into this country of wines
and spurious liquors contrary to the
laws of the United States. The in
dividual States are powerless to act in
these respects; therefore, the national
Government should exercise its full
power and authority in dealing with
these questions.
We believe that the Chief Executive
of every State should be Jealous in
the enforcement of the prohibition
law and should urge upon every State
official a strict observance and en-
forcement of the same.
We believe that the State and Fed
eral officers should cooperate fully
in preventing the violation of our
prohibition law and in making effec-
tive the will of our people in regard
to it's enforcement. New conditions
impose new responsibilities People
who violate one law will the more
readily be guilty of violating other
laws.
Therefore, the individual States
should share with the Federal Govern
ment the duty and responsibility of
enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment.
We pledge you, as governors, our
fullest cooperation and effort.
When the conference assembled,
Governor Baxter called for unfinished
business and Governor Sweet an
nounced that the redraft of memo
rial on prohibition, was ready for the
signatures of the governors.