Evening star., 1924-05-04
L.IMELlGHT CENTERS
!. ON THREE BUFFERS
President of Columbia University
DAVIS Dry" Barrage by
Liquo: Stand.
W. NJ. IS G. 0, P. CHAIRMAN
Gen. Smedley D. WeatheIs Another
Storm in Philadelphia Post.
BY ROBERT Il. SMALL.

NEW YORK, May 3.-The Buffers
Public stage.
William NJ. Butler of Massa chusetts.
has just been designated by President
coolidge as the new chairman Of the
Republican national committee and
strand conductor of the Coolidge cam
. paign.
zen. Smedley u. Butler Of the
United States Marines has just
nrathered another of the ever
recurring storms as director of pub
is safety in Philadelphia. the secre-
tary of the Navy announcing that he
has no intention of recalling the
fighting Devil Dog TO federal
SeFviCe.
And Or. Nicholas Murray Butler.
president of Columbia University in
this city. has found himself the
target Of the most devastating dry"
hdrrage ever IeVelIed at a single
individual.
Rouscx Dry Ire.
Dr Butler had The temerity to
stand up 4 day or two ago and an
n"unce that in his humble opinion
the NoiStcad act had brought more
statute eTer written on the books.
Itr. Butler thus Vtntured where many
before him &ad feared TO tread. lie
was not long = paying the tenaliy
Of his boldnesS.
Temperance boards anti-saloOn
Leagues. pastors and other rcformers
i've ieICught their heaviest guns to
Gear on the unWary educator. They
have avrrrcd that he stands virtually
alone among the college heads of
America in cundemning the present
efforts and the present methods en-
pluycd To enforce the prohibition
LAWS. They have attempted to infu-
ence the Patterson. y j.. board of
education to withdraw an invitation
= Or, Butler to make the principal
address II the corner stone laying of
the new Patterson High School on
June y. The board. however, has re-
fused to act and DR.. Butler viii de-
liver the slsS III as scheduled.
Strnd On Coolidge.
Friends of Dr. Butler say he has
taken a stand which is not very dis
similar to that of President Coolidge.
who recently declared that what the
country needs is law observance
rather than law enforcement. Dr.
Butler believes that without law OBJ
S"TNanCt there cannot be law en-
fOrCemcnt. Therefore. he argues, If a
law has been passed in such a man
ner and in such shape that il does
not command observance efforts to
enforce il are next to futile
The strength of all law lies in the
Will Of the people to observe it. Fear
of punishment does not make the law
against stealing effective. People do
not steal because they believe it is
morally wrong TO steal. They OBJ
serve" the law in the mass. DR.. But
Ter believes that until a prohibition or
rather a temperance law is written in
such language that virtually Ill of
the people will agree of their own
accord to abide by it, attempts to
vain.
Replies to Attacks.
Answering today attacks made
upon him at the Methodist general
conference in Springfield, Mass, and
in Paterson, y. j., DR.. Butler said:
The religious and moral forces of
the country. which with the best in
tontions brought into effect the policy
Of national prohibition by constitu-
tional amendment, should recognize
the fact that that policy has failed
and that it has brought in its train
wholly unexpected consequences in
the field Of both public and private
morals.
1t is my hope and belief that these
same religious and moral forces will
rally to the support of a constructive
public policy that shall control the
liquor trafiice, abolish the saloon
whether secret or open, promote the
cause of temperance and public
morals, as well as remove a chief in
tenttVc to that spirit and habit of
laWleSSness which bids fair to under
mine the foundations of our whole
social and political order"
DR.. Butler has fatty declined to
meet amy Of the 'drys" in joint de-
bate. tie says his position is clear
unequivocal and known to the people
Of the country.