Evening star., 1923-10-12

The entire country seems TO be
watching with considerable interest
the fight between the saloonkeepers
of Philadelphia on the one hand ana
Gov. Pinchot and the Department OF
Justice on the other. When the fed
eral and state governments Joined
hands a short while back to close up
the rum shops of the anthracite dis
trict they met with some success, De-
cause the majority OF the dealers
closed I'D their so-called 'near-beer"
barrooms. But now the Liquor
Dealers Association of Philadelphia,
an organization that has survived
yolsteadism, has announced the au-
thorities have no right to close their
places of business. They say shey
and when Gov. Pinchot in person VS.
tied a number to tell them that ne
would apply the paddock law, Whlch
would shut the establishments lot
wear, they simply. laughed at hiih
The question which seems tber 70 the
iniunction proceedings can oe appliso
here on the original evidence eatn-
cred by special agents or Whether II
shall be necessary to get new eal
dence to warrant issuance @ o. atJ ahiisb-
ments as nuisances. Should the 1or-
ner hold true, and the Governor " "
Pennsylvania says it will, then II Is
likely the method will pc tEleo III
number osr,ie0t of othsr stilI lalge heids forth.
TT is we'll to have the test come
| noIp" The Star pointed out, TO DC :.
| termine whether the governments %
the United States and OF the sIate stt
| ono.sss The Scranton Times, now
ever. feels at remains to be seen ~. -
The move will be effective In actuaily
stopping the sale OF liquor VI
whether, like in Scranton, saloonmeh
will simply move upstairs anu oo -
1 tinue tn do business as uSual, even
! q little less open."r The method Is
| that "of the iron hand" the fi.tso
hureh Sun holds, but AS long as the
| executive acts within the law 10 en-
| force the law there can be no com
| plaint. The Pennsylvania ENFORCE
| ment law and the volstead act should
| be enforced in this state EnIofce-
! nnent heretofore has been largely 1ar
| cicaI. If we are now to have real
| test Of real prohibition there can oe
! no protest from good citizenship.
| "Padlocking is the chief weapon the
| government has to enforce prohiDi-
| ton" the Newark News argues al
though that weapon has not oeen
| effectively used In New Jersey up 10
the present time" 1t is because Oh
! the drastic powers the in1unctioh
| gives. the Springfield Republican says
that the Pennsylvania experiment 8
| being watched so closely, inasmuch
! az "this method of enforcing pfonl
Z; bition in the cities Is now mucn Ia
| vored. In this country today tneIe ],
| exists probably the most gigantlc
| conspiracy in American .io,; nis.us
| against the enforcement OF a partcu-
lar set of laws. 1t is enormously to
the credit of Gov. Pinchot that ne
! should so courageously begin an OF.
fensive against the tntrenched put
iawiess rum trade OF the city OF
Phila delphia- His slogan Is, Ihe ia"
is supreme" People who are Tor law
| enforcement In the abstract, put VINO
! want this particular law so discreoit-
| ed by failure that it's repeal VIII De
forced, cannot sympathize with GOV
Pinchot; but all who sincerely pc
Iieve that the possibilities or Ia"
should be tested by the fair ana non.
est enforcement of 1t will wish MIN
good fortune and godspeed." Ampli
Tying this statement somewhat, tnt
Boston Christian Science Monitor de-
4 clares mo single concrete example Of
disobedience to the law has more
| clearly illustrated the purpose ane
iintent of those who for so many
tdeoades defied all reasonable reguia,
tory measures than this defiance py
I a mere handful Of outlawed saloon.
keepers. It may be that, after all