Putnam patriot., 1928-11-01
Properly For States

1 believe, with our great President Wilson. that Prohibition and kindred questions were properly for the States. Yet, despite all technical ob- jections to the procedure adopted in order to bring about the present sta tus. and after an agitation of more than half a century. and under pres sure of war conditions-and, be- lieve. under the guidance of a power which moves behind and through the affairs of men--Prohibition came, as we know it today 1 am willing to give up drink altogether for the gen erai good. Many others feel as l do, both Republicans and lifelong Demo crats, like myself l have voted for every regular Democratic Presidential tial candidate for fifty years. except in the campaign of 1896, when l vot ed the Gold Democratic ticket.
 If the .oyershadowing issue were as to religion, l would with the whole force of my being advocate the election of Governor Smith, If we have not learned religious toleration by this time. after centuries of strug gle, we shall never learn it, and Chris tianity will have proved failure,
 Another of mv Democratic corre- spondents calls my attention to the fact that opposition to the protective tariff seems to have been abandoned by our party organization. There was time when a great Democratic edi- tor declared the tariff Co be rob bery," and we Democrats went so far, ts, n.s. t,lat for.. t,ftowancao af laaot under Cleveiand's leadership-t0 de- clare for tariff for revenue only. All this seems to be forgotten. All that real Democrats held to be doctrines of the party of Jefferson seems to be lost or subordinated to the mad scramble for more drink. How those who disobey the law. Republicans and Democrats alike, because 1t does not suit them will be able to meet the dreaded Communists who will oppose laws as to personal property, because these laws do not suit their notions of personal liberty, l cannot conceive.
 We are governed by political organ izations-they may be called the gov erning class-and those who are allied with this governing class for the our pose of obtaining governmental fav- ors through what is called 'innu- enee." Both organizations are cor rupt. Their very rules of action make corruption inevitable. An honest independent is never willingly nominated for or appointed to office. Except to gain some collateral ad- i vantage for the machines, they taboo all honest independents. It is a mere Heeident that now and then q strong independent man comes to the front. Cleveland. in 1892, is an instance in point Mir. Hill had all of the regular delegates to the National Convention from the State of New York, but Cleveland had the popular sentiment. 4 great part of the movement against the ''snap convention" in the State of New York started in my parlor one Sunday night.
 Another Accident
 Mir. Wilron was another accident Admirably equipped as this very great man was. the defiance of certain ele- ments by Bryan at the National Con- vention and the three-cornered fight made Wilson President for his first term. After that. he was too strong to be set aside. Now. when people, or an accident, or Providence gives us something worth while. which the organizations do not want or regard with indifference, think that we should not lightly sacrifice the little that the people have gained. The saloon, in any form, must not return. Hoover is, apparently, in sympathy with the amendment and the law Governor Smith is not. I admire his frankness. Furthermore. he prom iscs to enforce the law. But there is 9 @reat difference between the en- forcement of law by one in sympathy with thet law and one who is not.
 His election as 1 have said, will be internreted here and abroad as a re- lection Of the Prohibition policy by the people of the United States Much as ! admire Governor Smith, cannot aid him 10 bring about SO great a calamity to our nation and to hu- mani y
 t.s