Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-07
NO DODGING ON LIQUOR ISSUE
IN 1923, WARNING OF SENATORS
Borah and Sheppard Tell Citizens Com
mittee for Law Observance Showdown
on Question Is Certain.

Inc nenecSity of upholding the Con
stitution of the United States and of
implicit obedience to the laws of the
land, regardless of individual prefer
ences, was emphasized last night at a
! banquet which concluded the annual
meeting of the Citizens Committee of
One Thousand for Law Observance
and Enforcement, attended by men
and women who take high rank in the
life of the Nation and addressed by
'eaders of the Senate and of the dry
forces throughout the country,
While the prohibition situation was
cited as a conspicuous example of a
problem involving lawlessnesS and
corruption, the point was brought out,
through resolutions and speeches, that
the fundamental object of the commit
tee is to appeal for the observance
and enforcement of ali laws and the
maintenance of the American system
OF ordered liberty.
Senator William L. Borah of Idaho
and Senator Morris Sheppard of Texas
We're the principal speakers, and both
of them took occasion to warn politi-
cal parties that ii will be impossible
for them to dodge the issue of the
enforcement of the prohibition law
when the 1928 campaign rolls q. ound.
Sought to Buy Nomination.
Corruption and lawlessness are the
two great evils which are menaClng
this country today, declared Senator
Borah. and he went on to charge that
Sin 1920 there was deliberate and
well organized effort to buy the nWni-
nation for the presidency.
Political parties must be divorced
from the financial centers of the coun.
try. he declared in the midst of
sCathing attack upon the admiXtu1e
of private financial interests and pc
IitiCal parties. and referred to Such
financing as a practice which has
brought universal corruption,
Senator Borah mentioned specific in
stances to illustrate his remarks. re-
ferring to the Illinois primary scandal
and to the charges which grew out of
the primary campaign in PennSyl-
vania.
at would be infinitely better for the
people of this country and 1t would
come back to them a thousand times
in the benefits of clean public serv-
ice to have these political parties
treated as quasig overnmental insti-
tutions. TO the extent at least of the
Government taking care of the actual
legitimate cost of a campaign, rather
than encounter the evils of this pri-
vate financing" he declared
After answering in detail attacks on
the prohibition law and its enforce
ment and stresSing the point that the
law is now part of the Constitution
and should be obeyed as such, Senator
Borah said:
Elevating Lawlessness.
THE most significant and startling
feature of this unwelcome phase in
our national life is the proposition to
elevate lawlessness into a principle of
government and clothe it with all the
sanctitv of an inalienable right.
Obedience to law is the basic prin-
ciple of government and of the main
tenance of the orderly life of this
Nation. he said. and closed his address
with this fiery challenge. which pro.
voked lengthy applause from the more
than 400 diners
IF the political parties In 1928 I'M
dertake to dodge the issue of law en-
forcement. and if there are those who
believe it is time to engraft upon the
doctrine of Washington the doctrine
of notification. personal lawlessness
or group lawlessness. let the American