Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-17
Questions States Right
To Rescind Ratification

To the Editor of The Star:
In an editorial of The Star of Sun
day, June 2, New Jersey is included as
one of the three States which did not
ratify the eighteenth amendment, while
in Mark Sullivans article, published on
June 9, but two States are said to have
failed to ratify. Which of these state
ments is correct?
This seems to the writer to be a
matter of considerable moment Just
now, particularly in view of the char
| acter of the projected suit of the State
of Rhode Island to annul the amend
ment within its borders According to
my information, New Jersey did ratify
the amendment. and subsequently at
tempted to withdraw her ratification.
Is it proper for a State to do this? If
so, and the contentious of Rhode Island
are correct, then what is to prevent
Nevada, Wisconsin and New York or
any State that changes its mind from
also withdrawing its ratification and
thus rendering that constitutional pro-
vision imperative within it's borders?
What, then, becomes of the provision
of the Constitution which makes eff
tective amendment possible? And why
should such action be confined to this
particular amendment, or to any par
ticular part of the Constitution?
1t would seem that the fundamental
issues OF democracy in government
which are involved in this question are
of vastly greater rapport than the pro-
hibition issue itself, and that if We ad-
NIT the wet" contentious, then, in
deed, do We have Constitution which
is not even beautiful in it's ruins" but
is undergoing a subsistence in its foun-
dations." The liquor traffic is bad
Even Mexico and Russia are working
toward outlawry of it. But war is hell
and general realization of the moral
obligation to support such law as is an
expression of the will of the majority
is necessary to the outlawry of war.
To the extent that such a realization,
such patriotic loyalty. is lacking, a
people are incapable of that intelligent
cohesion which makes possible self
government by representative democ-
racy.
Putting aside the confusing sophistry
OF legal technicalitieS and getting down
10 plain facts that every one can I'M
oerSCand, II Will be clear that democ-
racy Is the original pacifism, since ii
provides the mechanism for substituting
orderly procedure for violent settlement
OF controversies by eliminating the pos
slbllity OF government which does not
derive its just powers from the consent
OF the governed and of laws representing
the tyranny of despot who could be
overthrown only by war. Democracy
cannot be tyrannical, because it is
founded on an appeal to reason rather
than to authority, and every one has
recourse to an appeal to the majority
opinion in elections or through repre-
sentative assembly, where the issues
can be thoroughly discussed. It thus
provides a definite distinction between
rebellion and revolution, which lies i'm
something more fundamental than mere
success, because it aims at ins1Irine
that rebellion against orderly govern
ment shall always represent a minority.
and. therefore never be successful. while
revolution against the arbitrary TYRANNY
OF a few shall always succeed. and that
without any need for bloodshed
ALDEN A. POTTER.