Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-10-16
owe double the wear
Of every pair"
Acme Shoe Shop
81 Hudson Ave.
Frank Fishbaugh, Mgr.
A NEW CINCINNATUS

The appointment Of Mr. Volstead
as legal adviser to the regional di-
rector Of Prohibition enforcement is
very nearly a stroke Of genius. By
this time Mr. Volstead is so harden
ed, confirmed and inveterate a lame
duck that his plumage can be scarce
ly detected. He is a politician who
has been out Of work so long that he
no longer classifies as a politician.
Like Cincinatus, who left his pl0W to
save Rome, Mr.. VOlstead has come to
save the prohibition law, the Eight
eenth amendment, and public morals
But the merit Of his appointment
lies in none of these considerations
There has been some reluctance
among our very dry friends to admit
that he law is now facing its supreme
test. They have a vision Of an end
less number Of supreme tests differ.
ing in none Of its essentials from the
prospect fondly hoped for by the
bOttleggers. Formerly it was held
that enforcement was a glorious sue
cess, and second, that the reason why
it is not a glorious success is because
10 serious effort has been made to
enforce it. They do not care to ad-
nit that General Andrews is making
q serious effort because they fore
see-just what is it that they fore
see?
Now comes Andrew J. Volstead,
the very father of the prohibition
law himself. He is to be a sort OF
rlght-hand man to the regional direc-
tor. Would Mr. Volstead betray his
own law? The question answers it.
self. 1t may be possible to be more
royalist than the king, but there sim
| ply is no being better dry man than
Mr.. VoIstead. Where Wayne B.
Wheeler leaves off, there Mr. Vol
stead begins.
Language cannot express how dry
he is. He is dlyness itself. His name
and prohibition have become inter
changeable. He not only believes in
enforcing the law to the utmost and
little beyond, but also thinks that
each molecule of alcohol, in addition
to the universally admitted chemical
! constituents, also contains at least
one horned devil. That is what he
means when he speaks Of the demon
that turks in the cup SO by this
stroke all possible doubts are dis
PEELED There have been serious eff
forts before, but none so serious as
this. None can now deny that this
| is indeed the supreme test.
The appointment Of Major Wilcox,
if it happens, is not SO we'll advised.
Major Wilcox is head of the secret
service bureau Of the United States
Steel Corporation at Duluth He is
to be first assistant. That he is a
highly competent police officer is not
| open to question. But General Rhi-
now should not make his task any
more difficult than it is. 1t may be
very unreasonable Of labor to feel
| that prohibition is somehow tied up
with the Vaccinations of Big Biz, but
the enforcement Of prohibition
through men recruited from the priv
ate police of the United States Steel
Corporation will not reduce that an
tagonism. Major Wilcox may be a
very vigorous man. but he will create
more problems than he will solve.
Enforcement will never get public
support until the rank and file are
convinced that prohibition is a moral
reform. Judge Gary's private police
are not the persons to carry that con-
vction. Editorial from The Saint
Paul Pioneer Press, Thursday, Oc-
tober 8, 1925.