Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-03
BORAH GOES WEST
TO LAUNCH ATTACK
ON QUALIFICATION"
Continued from First Pagel


two issues of great public interest,
prohibition and it's corollary, law en-
forcement, and foreign relations OF
the United States. What erect II may
have on his own political fortunes
time alone will tell.
Because he mas rushed to the de-
Tense Of the 18th amendment 10 the
Constitution, Senator Borah has been
heckled by vets and newspapers with
wet leanings, demanding why ne mas
not been equally sensitive regarding
the I4th and 18th amendments, CIV
ing the negro equal rights with the
whites al the polls. They want 10
know why he has not conducted
crusade to see that these amendments
are enforced to the letter IN tne
States of the South.
Before he left here last night Sen
ator Borah called attention 10 the fact
that he has in the past denounced
the failure of the States 10 carry out
the provisions of the l4th and 10Th
amendments to the Constitution. he
insisted that he is as strongly IN
favor of the enforcement or these
amendments as he is OF the l8th
amendment or any other part OF the
Constitution while they remain a part
Of the Constitution.
Senator Borah is a dry, favorable to
prohibition He has never been a
rabid prohibitionist. While the ques-
ton was under discussion for many
years in Congress he did not speak
on eitbar- eide Of the question. He
voted. however, for the resolution
providing for the submission or the
18th amendment to the states Tor
ratification.
AS he sees the question now, how.
ever, it goes beyond the merits Oh
the wet and dry question. II becomes
n question Of respect for and opedl-
ence to the fundame ntal law of the
land He does not quarrel with those
who propose to repeal the eighteenth
amendment, though he would oppose
such action. But he does attack those
who would "nullify" the eighteenth
amendment while leaving it part
of the fundamental law.
Studies Southern Cases.
Senator Borah would join quickly
with any one who made an earnest
and honest effort to bring about real
observance of the fourteenth and tif-
teenth amendments in the Southern
States. After an investigation of the
matter, however, he has become con-
WINGED that the Southern States are
not violating these amendments-as
States-but that the violations are
the work of individuals in those
States. The fifteenth amendment
reads: 1.-THE right Of citizens Of the
United States to vote shall not be de-
MED or abridged by the United States
or by any State on account of race,
color, or previous condition of servl-
tude. Section 2. The Congress shall
have power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation"
The eighteenth amendment, on the
other hand, does not deal with the
States, but with individuals, and Con
gress by legislation can tackle indi-
vidual violators of the prohibition
law.
During the debate on the sixteenth
amendment. providing for woman
suffrage, Senator Borah delivered
speech in the Senate opposing the
resolution, although he favored woman
suffrage, in which he declared that
one reason for opposition to the
amendment lay in the fact that the
negro women in the Southern States
would not be permitted to vote. He
denounced the failure to enforce the
fifteenth amendment, for which he
said the North was responsible as
well as the South.
II am opposed" said Senator Borah
in this speech. "even If we could Sc
cure ratification, to putting into the
Constitution Of the United States q
provision of the Constitution which
is going to be violated 365 days out
of the year. A great FUNDAMENTAL
law, the incarnation and crystalliza-
ton of the public sentiment and the
moral force of 90.000,000 of people,
should be a law which is in force and
to be in force in its every line and
letter so long as it remains the law.
Sees Contempt Bred.
1.-THE violation of law is bad of it.
self. 1t is demoralizing to the com
munity, the State and the Nation.
For a people to live in open defiance
of their fundamental law. for a whole
Nation to witness day after day and
year after year and decade after dec
ade the fragrant evasion of their
charter of government is to breed
that contempt for order, that disre-
gard for authority. that defiance of
law, that indifference to the rights of
others which now curses with a
whitening, consuming curse some of
the so-called republics to the South. I"
This was spoken six years and more
before the prohibition amendment
was adopted and the Volstead law
enacted and disregarded by millions
of Americans.