The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-01-17
Stresses Educational Phase of
Enforcement Work And Rec
Ommends Jail Sentences

the local Circuit Court in the $25-
900 Durant Contest for the best
plan to make the 18th Amendment
effective.
The failure of the enforcement of
the 18th Amendment to the Constitu-
ton of the United States, insofar as
there has been a failure, is primarily
due to the neglect or refusal Of off
Gals whose duty it has been to en-
force the law-to observe their oaths
to support the Constitution. The sec
ond and third paragraph Of Article
VI of the Constitution is as follows:
"This Constitution and the laws of
the United States which shall be
made in pursuance thereof; and all
Treaties made, or which shall be made
under the authority of the United
States, shall be the supreme Law Of
the Land; and the Judges in every
State shall be bound thereby, any
thing in the Constitution or laws of
any State to the contrary notwith
standing.
''The Senators and Representatives
before mentioned, and the members OF
the several State Legislatures, and
all executives and judicial officers
both of the United States and Of the
several States, shall be bound by oath
or affirmation, to support this Consti-
tuition; but no religious test shall ever
be required as qualification to any
office of public trust under the United
States"
In disregard of this obligation,
many of the officers who have publicly
bound themselves to uphold the Con-
stitution have scoffed and sreered at
the 18th Amendment and the laws in
tended for its enforcement. Many Of
them have gone further and violated
these laws and done their best to
create a public sentiment unfavorable
to their observance and enforcement.
Blames Officials
Men holding high office in some of
the States have publicly proclaimed
that the 18th Attachment cannot be
successfully enforced and as cOnse-
uuence multitudes of minor officials
and private citizens, and many OF
them leaders in business and the pro
fessions, who were seeking an eX-
cuse for indulging the appetites, have
had their conscience sterilized as to
their duty under this amendment, and
the result has been a depleted morale
in office, and brazen violations OF the
laws and Indifference as to observance
by masses of the people.
No body of men can create such
trend of sentiment for or against any
law as the classes required to take
this Constitutional oath, for they in
clude many Of the most prominent
and forceful citizens in every COM
munity-not only senators and repre-
sentatives in Congress, members OF
the state legislatures and also federal
and state judges, but also mayors,
councilmen and alderemen Of all cities
and magistrates and county officers
throughout the land, as well as all the
lawyers in America.
The blame for the failure Of en-
forcement and general observance OF
this law is primarily theirs and there
fore it would seem that any plan to
enforce the law, to be practicable,
must bring home to these officials
their plain and sworn duty, not only
to vote right and enforce honesty,
but personally to observe the law ac-
cording to the letter and spirit OF
their obligation under the Sixth Ar
ticle of the Constitution. Too many
leaders of public opinion in exalted
stations have betrayed the people
who trusted them, and have seduced
those they think for in politics into
the obscession that the 18th Amend
ment is not an essential part of the
Constitution and is not the su-
preme law of the land. The average
prominent business man who in the
large cities especially keeps his bot
tie of brandy secreted in his filing
case for the benefit of himself and
his associates, continues to do so, not
so often because he cannot do with
out it, but because the political lead
err whom he accepts as his guide,
philosopher and friend has said pub
licly not that the 18th Amendment is
the supreme law to which every pa
triotic citizen owes personal obedi-
ence, but that it is a wicked and
damnable infringement of the rights
of the citizens for which the Anti
Saloon League is responsible. To-
meet this situation l make the fol-
lowing suggestions as a plan to make
the Eighteenth Amendment effective;
Proposed Methods
Perjury under the enforcement law