Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-06

| tation was growing. He enjoyed large
! alcoholic" practice and was elected to
Congress, where he sits today. When
the new prohibition administrator,
Samuel 0. Wynne, was recently ap-
pointed in Philadelphia, the first politi-
cal request that. reached him was from
Congressman Colder TO the effect that
he get rid of Conner and Quigley. Col
Wynne looked up their records-and
promoted them to senior investigators!
1t takes backbone to stand up against
the corrosive influence OF politics
Plenty of men can be found. however
who will do it. The men put in as
United States attorneys and as prohi-
bition administrators can stand frm, do
a clean job on law enforcement and
still be far to the politicians If they
themselves are not possessed by an
overweeniEg political ambition.
I am thinking of one United States
attorney, particularly, who is serving
now in one of the most difficult districts
in the country. He is a man of good
personal character and an able lawyer,
but the political bee has stung him. He
has long looked generously at a nomi-
nation for the governorship of his
State He sees the mirage of political
advancement on every horizon AS a
consequence he Is timorous and yields
to expediency and an oversolicitouS de-
sire to consult with political leaders
when evidence is laid on his desk de-
handing prosecution that may not
prove to be popular with the public. He
can't enforce the prohibition law with
one eye out for popularity. His ambi-
ton makes him unequal to his task If
law is to be enforced in his district he
will have to be replaced or learn to
submerge his political warnings in an
aggressive pursuit of the duties of the
job he has.
do not object to politics / have al
ways been more or less active in politi-
cal matters. I am not unwilling to be
regarded as, nor perhaps is 1t unfair to
call me. politician" I just hold to
the philosophy that in the end the best
politics is playing the game squarely
and enforcing the law vigorously.
Underworld Vote.
Politics, from the county courthouse
and the city hall to the National Capt.
tol and the White House in Washing
ton, has been most responsible for the
failures of prohibition enforcement.
I'm not minimizing the effect of the
thirst of a large number of people for
alcoholic liquor. But that's the other
side of the picture. If they were not
thirsty they would obey the law and en-
forcement would not be a problem
Obedience to law is. ideal-and far
more to be desired than enforcement.
But we must face facts. And the fact
Is there's too large a number of people
unfriendly to the eighteenth amend
ment to expect at this time enough
voluntary obedience to 1t to save our
national honor
You can neither coax, Scold nor nag
the people into law observance Con-
Sequently enforcement is the necessary
approach at this time. Enforcement in
court, not promises. Orderly enforce
ment. Strictly legal methods of en-
forcement. Enforcement by trained,
highly intelligent men, imbued with
high morale and pride In their serv-
ice. Courageous enforcement. Enforce
ment backed up at Washington. Every
body would not like such enforcement.
but everybody would respect it-even
politicians.
be orderly because it must be periodi-
cally relaxed when we need the under
world vote. It must not even be as
strong as the law is in place like New
York, where people are 'touchy' on the
subject. We must appoint. not trained
men, but those who got the vote out
and who will be reasonable with the
boys"
Some evasive politician from a dis
IIIC1 WAlCIC IhC uiy ocIlGAIlcIlJ - FcIy
strong, in order to capture the dry vote
at an approaching election, is always
urging the headquarters office to issue
"Pollyanna" statements Of how many
agents will be rushed into that quarter
and how effective prohibition is going
to be-tomorrow-always tomorrow! Or
when some agent or officer does act
with courage old Political Pull" pussy !
foots around the Offices at Washington
and gets some puerile higher up" to
issue a vacillating statement or apology. |
No wonder at such times courageous
agents on the fighting line" lose their
morale!
But one battle after another to try a
case or remove an incompetent attor-
ney has made me know that fine results
can be obtained, even in the constant
warfare against politics. by grit, per-.
SiStence and a united front!
tCopyrIsht, 1929, by Current News Features)
In her next article Mrs. Willebrandt
will answer the question, How wet is
GIrx,, Ara