The monitor., 1928-06-22

II T. m
| 18th amendment at this time focuses
the issue of the integrity and inviol-
ability of the constitution and the
law No party can hope to bid for
public favor and openly advocate the
annulment of organic law. / expect
to see the democratic convention at
Houston endeavor to Guido its repub-
lican rival in avowing allegiance to
the constitution. 1t is a safe bet that
Smith will Guido Hoover in lip hon.
age to this great instrument. But
party platforms are designed to at
tract voters rather than to express
/ sincere conviction. This is the hom-
age which vice pays to virtue. There
are sincerely dry democrats and re-
publicans. On the other hand, both
parties have an ample contingency of
genuine vets. But on the whole, the
republican party has more COM
prehensive purpose than its demo-
cratic rival in regard to this great
moral reform. Hoover's purpose with
reference to prohibition is construct
i've; Smiths is destructive. We must
interpret platform phraseology in
light of the spirit and determination
of the parties and persons behind
them.
The regret is great that the COP.
did not choose to be as specific in
its avowal to enforce the 18th and
18th amendments as the 18th. Here
in lies moral inconsistency. On this
score we must rest content with the
declarations of George Washington
and Abraham Lincoln as to the OBJ
ligatoriness of the constitution as
such But these 40 years of sad ex-
perience makes US skeptical of the
modern day Americans sense of this
obligation so ardently espoused by
the father and the savior of the ma
ton. 1t is well, however, to renew
our allegiance to basic principle, al
though our practice may deviate
therefrom.
We gather from press reports that
the Negro contingency of the conven-
ton, some so strong, fought man
fully for the inclusion of the 14th
and 18th amendments, along with the
18th, in the specific declaration. In
this they were defeated. Their at
titude must be applauded in general
terms. However, | have not learned
of single Negro participant, either
at the convention nor in the prelim-
mary campaign, who openly and
avowedly advocated prohibition, on
basic principle, with the single excep-
ton of the national committeeman
from Georgia. Their tactics were
rather vindictiye and retaliatory.
They declared to the managers of the
party, IF you insist on enforcing the
18th amendment, then we will also
insist on the enforcement Of the 14th
and 18th amendments" The moral
force of their contention was i'm
measurably weakened because they
failed to uphold prohibition for its
own essential merit. How greatly
this would have strengthened their
position. 1t is much greater virtue
to uphold law as law rather than to
select designated portions of the law
promotive of our peculiar interests,
for emphatic advocacy.
The American people had allowed
the principle of the civil war amend
ments to lapse into complaisant obliv-
ion until revived in memory by the
prohibition issue. The political
rights of the Negro will inevitably
benefit by the enforcement of the
18th amendment. OF course we
would bind the two to the public
conscience by a common chain, if we
could. The attempt is worth the eff
fort, if no more. Whatever moral
purpose may be engendered by the
latter will inevitably react upon the
| former.
But now the issue has been drawn.
The republican party and it's candi-
date have been firmly committed to
the 18th amendment. They are also