The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-06-25
DRY SPEAKER
UPHOLDS LAW
AS EFFECTIVE
Vote for Repeal Called Act of
Rebellion Against Federal
Constitution
STATES HONOR AT STAKE
Prohibition Held Justified by
Social and Economic Changes
Demonstrated
STATES HONOR AT STAKE

OCU1VluSVl 0SCU
Addressing an audience that filled
the city auditorium last night DR..
Raymond V. Johnson, field secretary
Of the board of temperance, prohibi-
tion and public morals Of the Meth
odist Episcopal church, gave five
reasons why North Dakota should
not vote Wednesday for repeal Of
the states constitutional prohibition
law.
The law should not be repealed he
said because repeal will do no good
and great harm. It should not be
repealed because the honor of the
first state to come into the union as
a dry state j. at stake. The state
owes it to the memory Of the men
and women who brought about con-
stitutional prohibition here not to
repeal it. It should not be repealed
because prohibition is good thing
as shown by the social and econo-
mic changes it has brought about.
It should not be repealed because
North Dakota citizens are constitu-
ton lovers and law abiding citizens
and an attack upon the constitution
is an act Of rebellion.
DR.. johnson addressed meetings
here and in Mandan last night ar
ranged and participated in by the
Protestant churches Of the two
cities. Pastors Of the churches rep
resented sat upon the platform with
him.
State Historian Presides
In Bismarck he was introduced by
State Historian L. F. Crawford, who
said that all law is in advance Of the
thinking of the times and that all
laws have within them the seeds Of
decay. -.
"No law is self enforcing" said
Crawford. IF because law is not
enforced was q reason to strike it
from the statute books we should
have no law. Yet some thought the
passage of the Vol,tead law was all
that was necessary and seem to for
get that eternal vigilance is the
price of liberty"
DR.. Johnson said that North Da-
kota j.; now defending its consti-
tutional prohibition law because
"meddlesome busy bodies in the
state of New York decided that they
wanted to annoy the people Of this
state about q law settled 40 years
ago.
Certain people," he said, want
more booze sold so that they can get
more cash from depraved appetites.
Repeal of the North Dakota law
would do great harm and no good.
Four months ago wrote q letter to
the governor Of New York, (Al
SMITH, and asked him for a report
of the conditions that resulted from
repeal of the Mullins-Gage law. !
asked If there was less drunkenness,
less crime. have received no an
swer.
Repeal Rebellion's Act
1.-THE eighteenth amendment was
ratified by q greater majority Of
states and expression Of the people
than any amendment to the consti-
tuition or the constitution itself.
George Washington in his farewell
address declared that to uphold the
constitution was . sacred duty of
every citizen. hold that the state
repe..ling such q law as you have
in North Dakota would be q cheap
sport, q yellow coward and would
be committing an act Of rebellion
against the United States govern
ment.
"North Dakota came into the
union as a dry state, the first dry
state, 40 years ago.. Just as no one
ever can rob Indy Of being the first
man to c: IS the Atlantic in an air
plane, no one can ever rob North
Dakota Of the honor Of coming into
the union dry.
''What real motive can the vets
have for this meddling with the af-
fairs of the people Of North Dakota :?
They say let the government handle
the liquor. They would make the
government q bootlegger. They
would pile up the cost Of caring for
the dependent, the diseased, the in
sane and the inebriated. The re-
pealers don't want anything except
to get little more blood money
out Of depraved appetites.
Repeal would invite the boot
logger and the lawless element to
your state with what amounts to
an offer Of immunity. They don't
want to repeal. They want to catch
North Dakota people asleep as they
caught Montana people asleep. For
then they would herald to the world
that state that has been dry by its
own act for 20 years has gone wet.
Germany Will Go Dry
fhe liquor trade throughout the
world today is menaced by ! rapidly
rising sentiment for prohibition.
Germany and Italy are going dry.
In Germany more than 5000, 900
people have petitioned the Reichstae
Tor . local option law. In Italy by
the act Of . Fascist leader support
ed by the people . law has been
passed forbidding sale Of liquor ia
minors, stopping the serving Of
wine in the public schools and re-
quiring that places where hard H.
quor Is sold be closed ct 3 ct night.
Mussolini is on record for changing
the wine growing areas, so per cent
Of Italy's agriculture, into other
agricultural development. Other
nations will follow suit.
"The vets are now striving for
moral effect in the face Of this
world situation. The Moderation
League which II behind the effort ia
(CoDt1npod On paHo tWol