Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-18

power-"to enforce this article by ap-
propriate legislation" therefore We are
in grave danger that Congress. being
guided by the United States Consti-
tuition and not by the Articles of Con-
federation, may "encroach" upon State
rights.
The strange anomaly appears TO lie
in the fact that prohibition seems most
enthusiastically supported in the very
States additionally most jealous Of
their State rights.
New York State is the leader in OPP
position to the prohibition legislation.
but in the same issue in which MI.
Wickershams proposal not tn try TO
enforce present laws by Federal power.
as the public was led to expect of the
Wickersham commission, but to plead
that the present laws were "impractl-
cable" and TO urge their "modif1ca-
ton" two metropolitan dailies tVet
express amazement at the recommen-
dation of Mr.. Wickersham.
The New York World editorial SAYS:
He is chairman of a commission
which has been intrusted with the dim
cult task of studying law enforcement
In general and prohibition enforcement
in particular, and 1t seems to us a per-
fectly amazing spectacle to behold the
chairman of that commission announc-
ing conclusions and issuing advice be-
fore the study and investigation have
been made"
Even in the Army regulation pistols
60 off at half-cock If the safety catch
is left open. The President Is warned.)
The Herald Tribune Of New York
notes that the commission does not
look with a complacent eve upon the
present prohibition situation"
Yet the announced purpose OF the
commission was to study how laws
could be enforced-with the Will to
succeed"-rather than with alibis for
ruled out by the signing OF the YER
sailleS treaty"
It is not the function Of this "col-
yum" to discuss the merits or dement's
of a strong Federal Government In en-
forcing the laws enacted under the
Federal Constitution. which laws would
become a farce II left to the "a States
to enforce or not, at the wills OF 48
governors, according to 40 different In
terpretations.
Saws John Fiske in his The Critical
Periods of American History:
I'm March, 1885. Grayson wrote to
Madison that several members of Con-
gress thought seriously of recommend
ing a general convention for remodeling
the Government. I have not made up
my mind says Grayson, whether 1t
would not be better to bear the ills We
have than to fly to others that We know
not of. ] am. however, In no doubt about
the weakness Of the. Federal Govern
ment If It remains much longer in its
present state of imbecility we shall be
one of the most contemplate nations
m the faRA Of fha earth ~
Fiske also quotes another statesman
of that tine-a citizen of Old Virginia
named George Washington. who was
decidedly more Affirmative than Gray
son. Washington declared ut Is clear
to me as A B c that an extension of
Federal powers would make us one Of
the most happy. wealthy, respectable
and powerful nations that ever inhab-
tied the terrestrial globe. Without them
we shall soon be everything which is
the direct reverse. predict the worst
ing Government always moving upon
crutches and tottering at every STEP"
+ X
So we never hear Washington quoted
even by his fellow Virginians-the wet
ones-as advocating excessive indie
pendence Of the States. and it would
wall the "encroachments" of the Fed
eral Government in enforcing laws in
which the Constitution provides con-
current duties of both the State and
Federal Government to enforce. Con
current cannot by any possibility
mean a division of enforcement, but
must mean joint enforcement of the
whole-not evasion nor naturalization,
the one of the other, according to the
court Interpretation.
| X X y
II Is especially significant. IN the
present case to note trat. according to
Fiske. the opponents of the Constitu-
| ton have always included bootleggers
and moonshiriers. Says the author:
There were among them many
'rnoonshiners.' as they were called-dis-
tillers OF Illicit jwhisky--arid they did
not relish the idea Of Federal excise