The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-02-03
M'ADOO CLASSES STATE
WITH NULLIFICATIONISTS
Says President Should Request
Measures to Bring Recalci-
trant States Into Line

certed and nationwide drive to con-
troll national politics." William Gibbs
McAdoo on Friday told the Ohio State
Bar Association at Toledo, Ohio, on
Friday.
He declared the United States, in
continued houting of prohibition laws
is approaching the slippery path to
anarchy"
The country's problem, he said, is
to ''resist the debasement of its civili-
cation at the hands of machine poll
ticians, whether they come in the
guise of Republicans or Democrats"
1.-TWO great municipal Bosses" he
asserted, tried to gain control of the
United States senate at the Novem-
Der elections, making the drive prim-
arily as champions of the liquor traffic
and every evil force connected there
with"
In an address which consisted of
structure of arguments for prohibi-
ton and against the repeal of the
eighteenth amendment, the former
candidate for the Democratic presi-
Dental nomination asserted the ques-
ton of law and order is one of the
gravest confronting the nation and
that the root of lawlessness and dis
order is the attitude of those who take
the constitutional inhibition against
liquor lightly.
The return of legalized liquor, he
declared, would not affect a remedy
for the crime wave, because, he con-
tended prohibition has had nothing to
do with the increase of deeds of vio-
lence.
That, he asserted, has been predict
ed on growing disrespect for law, and
the only way is the path of duty
and obedience to the law"
NullificatiOnists.
The only lawful way to change the
constitution, he pointed out, is by the
adoption of another amendment in the
nature of repeal or modification of
the one in question. He charged those
who seek a shorter cut to legalized
liquor with being nullifcationists.
New York and Montana, in repeal
ing their state prohibition enforce
ment laws, have taken action which is
voided by the express words Of the
eighteenth amendment, he contended.
He placed Maryland, which never en-
acted an enforcement code, in the
ranks of nullificationists.
In all such cases, he said, the rem
edy lies with the federal government.
at is for the President" he con-
tinued, "to report the situation to
congress and to request the necessary
appropriations and measures to ena-
Bile him to enforce the constitution
and laws of the United States in such
notification or recalcitrant states"
Such measures would not have to
take the form of force, but could con-
sist of sufficiently organized federal
police power, was his contention.
Attacks States Rights.
He dashed out at the movement to
have states repeal their enforcement
laws as campaign to induce the peo-
pie of the country TO accomplish re-
suits ''by openly and frankly violating
and disregarding the highest law of
the land"
constitutional government is i'm
possible" he said, 'if we proceed on
the principle that only those parts of
the constitution are to be observed
and enforced which any given state or
Individual happens to like or approve.
This is the slippery path that leads to
anarchy. 1t is the negation of the
principle of majority rule; it sets up
that very tyranny of the minority
which the opponents of prohibition as
sail so loudly"
He declared the eighteenth amend
ment by its very wording leaves no
choice for State legislatures or con-
gress in the matter of providing en-
forcement laws.
at is itself, positive prohibition,
operating by its inherent force to
prohibit absolutely the manufacture,
sale or transportation of Intoxicating
liquors within the United States"
Upheld By Courts.
He pointed out that the supreme
court has upheld the Volstead pro-
vision of one half Of one per cent,
and that if there should be a SUBJ
stitute for the Volstead law, with
provision for higher alcoholic con-
tent, it necessarily would be uncon-
stitutional.
"Under the constitution as it now
stands, there is no possibility of en-
acting valid regulatory legislation
which will permit the traffic in liquor
containing pecentage of alcohol high
enough to be Intoxicating.
II believe that if an attempt were
made to repeal the Volstead act, and
to substitute therefore an unconsti-
tutional statute, or no statute at all,
the supreme court would be constitu-
tionally bound to hold thatsthe at