Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-22
SOLUTION OF LAW
Continued from Page One)

with which the federal government
since its organization, and consider
ing the difficulties necessarily IN
VOWED in the enforcement OF the pro-
hibition law, greater progress has
been made in the first six years OF
constitutional national prohibition
than has ever been known Ill connec-
ton with any similar effort IN en-
forcement of any other equally I'M
portant federal constitutional proVl-
sion in the history of the Republic.
In fact the first great federal
enforcement problem came in what
was known as the Whisky Rebellion
arising from the whisky trades re-
tusal to submit 'to federal taxation
and their questioning of the right of
control by the national government
This whisky rebellion was suppress
ed by the federal government when
that government was only in SWad-
ding clothes.
1.-THE next great problem of federal
enforcement was the enforcement OF
the laws against piracy. The history
of that effort to enforce those laws
along the Atlantic and the Cult
coasts and on the high seas covers
twenty-five years of difficult and try
ing efforts at criminal hunting at the
: emu Oh WHICH, IONtNCl, lilO 6ONSAA
ment was successful.
Then came enforcement of the
slave trade laws forbiddinS importa-
ton of African slaves adopted after
1903. To solve that problem requlr-
ed the enactment of number OF
| laws, the making of international
treaties with most of the principal
| foreign countries, long hard dip
lomatic crusade on the part OF the
government officials, especially with
European governments, and a most
persistent and determined effort on
| the part of the federal government
covering a period of more than forty
years to obtain adequate enforce
ment.
1.-THE next enforcement problem
! was dealing with the law abiding
| liquor interests during the admins
/ tratioh of President Grant when one
of the most appalling revelations OF
corruption in the federal government
was made involving the great whisky
| interests of the United States and
| men high in political life at Wash
| ington reaching even into the Presl-
dents official family.
"Following that the next great
problem of federal enforcement was
1t will be remembered that undertake
ing required governmental efforts for
an entire generation.
"Then followed the enforcement OF
the exclusion laws with respect es-
pecially to Asiatics. 1t is a signi-
ficant fact that even today one of the
governments most serious problems
is that of dealing with the constant
smuggling of aliens across the Can
adam and Mexican borders.
1.-THE problem of the enforcement OF
the prohibition laws today is no
greater than the problem which has
been faced repeatedly by the federal
government in the enforcement OF
laws. Time may be required but
there can be no question as to the
ultimate outcome. The American
nation, having once put its hand to
the plow,' is not in the habit OF turn
ing back"
DR.. Cherrington in speaking of
Neal Dow and other pioneers OF
temperance reform showed that the
prohibition movement is not sudden
or new thing, but has been going on
for more than a century in the Unit
ed States and that gradually, but
none the less surely, town after town,
township after township, county al
ter county, state after state became
dry through local enactment until
when the 18th amendment went IN
to effect very little of the United
States was wet.