The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-20
Governors Approve Law

WEST BADEN, Ind, Oct. 19.--(By Associated Press. .)-Scrapping a con- ference tradition of 15 years stand ing, a majority of Americas 52 state and territorial governors took their first record vote of history today in unanimously passing a resolution in dorsing national prohibition and pledging President Coolidge "our fullest cooperation" in the enforce ment of the Volstead act. The action came at the climax of a three-hour session of fiery debate, parliamen- tary tangles and perplexing maneu- vering in which three governors fought throughout to block the vote.
 Tonight the executives were en route to Washington to lay their statement before President Coolidge at luncheon conference Saturday.
 Today America passed over the hill on the prohibition question" Governor William D. Sweet of Colo rado, who introduced the resolution, said tonight. The governors resolu- tion declared law observance to be the fundamental basis of American citizenship and enforcement the pri- mary duty of every official"
 Up To Government.
 National prohibition is now, by constitutional amendment, the law of our land,' it said, and "an over whelming majority of the citizens of the United States are lawabidinC and desirous of the enforcement of law"
 Setting forth that only the federal authorities have control of liquor importation, the governors declared that "the national government should exercise it's full power and author ity'' in dealing with rum fleets and border smuggling.
 On a viva voce vote in which no opposing voice reached the chairman or official reporters, the resolution was formally reported as "unani- mously adopted"
 With this ruling by Gov. Perceval ?. Baxter of Maine presiding the prohibition question which was thrust into the conference at the opening session Wednesday by Gov c. A. Hardee of Florida in his re- sponse to the address of welcome, was disposed of at the final session of the conference.
 Parker Quits Conference.
 The adoption of the resolution was followed by the formal resignation from the conference of Gov. John M. Parker of Louisiana. The Louisiana executive declared at the opening of debate that a vote on the resolution would call for his immediate reSigna- tion and as the din of yeas greeted the executive as he walked from the room. He was a member of the Washington party, however, when the train began its Journey. He would attend the Presidents con- ference Saturday, he declared.
 After much stormy debate, joined in by Cows. J. J. Blaine of Wisconsin and Pat M. Neff of Texas and with the Sweet Memorial still pending, Gov. George S. Silzer of New Jersey intrdouced a resolution declaring the federal enforcement organization in- effective in it's operations and that -'we believe there can be no real en- forcement' as long as present condi- tions exist"
 Resolution Is Tabled.
 Governor Neff immediately moved it be tabled Seconded by Governor Walker of Georgia, the motion to table was put to a roll call. and passed 26 to ?. The official roll call on this motion to table, corrected this evening by the addition of several names of governors who were not in the room when the poll was taken, stood as follows:
 Yeas--Alabama Colorado, Connecti- cut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, In- diana, Iowa, Maine. Massachusetts,