The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1928-09-07

In his church bulletin Tor Sunday,
Sept. 2 Mr. Love announced that at
his night service he would answer
the following questions: "Is the
Church in Politics." What are the
chief dangers of bitterly contested
political campaign"
Mr.. Love answered the first queS-
tion by declaring that the church
positively is not in politics and that
the ministerial opposition to Smith
is consistent with a century old fight
of the church against the liquor
evil.
He said he opposed Smith be-
cauGe after the Democratic party
in national convention at Houston
had endorsed the Eighteenth
Amendment and the Volstead Act,
Smith wired the convention that
the Democratic platform was not
his platform and declared himself
in favor of an amendment to the
Eighteenth Amendment and a
modification of the VolStcad Act
that would be tantamount to re-
storing this country to the liquor
traffic.
Now the pastor of this Elizabeth
City church is no ordinary small
town preacher: he is clean, cour-
ageouS, outstanding man who is
absolutely sincere and prayerfully
inclined to be fair to all men. But
so damnably vicious has been this
preacher crusade against Smith,
that even man like Frank, Love is
seduced and persuaded to make
grossly unfair misrepresentation
against the Democratic nominee.
To begin with, the Democratic
party in its national convention at
Houston emphatically refused to
endorse either the Eighteenth
Amendment or the Vol5tead Act and
pledged itself solely to law enforce
ment. The platform plank speaks
for itself. Here it is:
Speaking for the national demo-
cracy, this convention pledges
the party and its nominee to an
honest effort to enforce the
eighteenth amendment and all
other provisions of the federal
constitution and all laws enact
ed pursuant thereto.
Governor Smith did not wire the
Houston convention that the Demo-
cratic platform was not his plat
form: he did not repudlatc his
partys pledge. He did wire the
convention that he accepted the
partys prohibition plank and pledg-
ed himself with the help of God to
enforce the Eighteenth Amendment
and the Volstead Act, but advised he
held to his personal conviction that
Prohibition is failure and that the
solution of the problem would be
found in a more liberal and Scientl-
fic Interpretation of what constl-
tutes an Intoxicating beverage.
In his speech of acceptance on
. August %, Governor Smith enlarged
upon his views and advocated both
an amendment TO the Eighteenth
Amendment and a modification OF
the Volstead Act, subject of course
to the mandates of the people in the
respective States. If the people
should not choose to accept his
recommendations he would respect
fully yield to the will of the people.
In any event he would enforce the
law. Among other things he said;
I / shall to the very limit execute
the pledge of our platform to
make an honest effort to enforce
the Eighteenth Amendment and
all other provisions of the Federal
Constitution and all laws enacted
pursuant thereto L believe
in temperance. We have not
achieved temperance under the
present system L beiieVe
in reverence for Law. To-day dis
regard of the prohibition laws is
insidiously sapping respect for all
law ...... When 1 stated that
the saloon is and ought to be
J defunct institution 1 meant 1t. 1
mean it to-day. will never ad-
vocate nor approve any law which
directly or indirectly permits the
return of the saloon.
And yet with the exact facts be-
fore him, Mr.. Love has been so car
ried away by the fulminations OF his
Bishops Cannon and Mouzon and
the rantings of biased, bigoted, IN
tolerant and slanderous secular
(Continued on Fage Two