Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-02
Leaving It to Uncle Sam.

Wisconsin mas put an end 10 lCS
State prohibition enforcement law.
First, a referendum of the question to
the voters resulted in victory for the
vets by majority of nearly 100000.
Then both houses of the State Legis-
lature. by large majorities, put through
the repeater bill, and finally Gov. Koh-
Ter signed the bill. This means that
hereafter prohibition enforcement in
Wisconsin will be carried on by the
Federal Government through the CO.
operation of local authorities in COM
munities where the dry sentiment and
the sentiment for law enforcement are
strong. AS o matter of fact, according
to the national prohibition unit, the
real burden Of enforcing prohibition in
Wisconsin has been borne for some
time by the Federal Government. There
has been State prohibition commits
sioner, who had a force consisting of
thirteen deputies. Considering the size
of Wisconsin, this appears more as a
gesture toward prohibition enforcement
by State authorities than any real in
terest in the cause.
Gov. Kohler in a communication to
the Legislature after he had signed the
bill repeating the State prohibition en-
forcement law said that the eighteenth
amendment to the Constitution imposes
no obligation upon the States, but
leaves it optional with them as to
whether or not they will exercise con-
current power to enforce prohibition by
appropriate legislation. Gov. Kohler
and President Hoover apparently take
very different views of the duties of
the States under the eighteenth amend
ment to the Constitution. The Presi-
dent, in his inaugural address, declared
it not only the duty of the people Of
the country to aid In enforcing the
dry laws as long as the eighteenth
amendment is part of the Constitution,
but said pointedly that it was also the
duty Of the State governments to play
their parts in upholding the prohibition
laws. There are a number Of States,
however, which have fatty declined to
accept the view advanced by the Presi-
dent, among them New York, Maryland
and now Wisconsin.
Enforcement Of the prohibition laws
is diff1cult enough in States considered
dry and which have State enforcement
laws. Where States decline to assume any
of the burden of enforcing national pro-
hibition law the task becomes Hercu-
lean. It is easy to see that If the
majority of the States should repeal
their State enforcement laws and
fatty refuse to have anything to do
with prohibition enforcement, prohibit
ton will become more of byword than
a real fact. Indeed, in some communi-
ties that Is already the case.
The drys built up their strength in
this country over a long period Of
years, winning State by State until they
became strong enough to dominate the
National Legislature and to put through
a resolution submitting the eighteenth
amendment to the forty-eight States
for ratification. Doubtless the vets
are playing a similar game, and, like
sharpshooters, pick off the enemy here
and there. Prohibition. Notwithstanding
the result of the national election Of
last Fall, is still political issue in
this country. If the drys are to main
tain their supremacy they must be
always on their guard, for, they have
an active and resourceful enemy drill
ing away constantly to undermine the
prohibition law.
AS a matter Of historical interest it
may be recalled that Wisconsin was one
Of the States that ratified the eighteenth
amendment, which 1t is now seeking to
scuttle without going through the form
Of repeating the amendment to the
Constitution. Only three States refused
to ratify the amendment. They were
Connecticut, New Jersey and Rhode
Island.