The Washington times., 1929-01-03

w. r. Hearst,
San Simeon, Calf.
First, let me congratulate you
upon your prize offer of $4,000
for the best plan to repeal the
Eighteenth Amendment.
Neither you nor any other giant
publisher ever performed a more
notable service than. this contribu-
ton of yours to the question: Are
the American people ready to give
UP and admit the failure of this,
the greatest experiment ever un'
Ciertaken by a free people?
Your prize contest furnishes the
rallying point for those who are
ready to admit defeat and want the
Eighteenth Amendment repealed.
Ny contest furnishes a rallying
point for those who are not ready
to admit defeat but want an honest
attempt made to enforce the law.
You say that in offering q prize
on how best to enforce the
Eighteenth Amendment MIR. Du.
rant is really offering a prize on
how best to put the Republican
party out of power"
Cites Election
1t viii be news to the Repub.
lican party to learn that II viii
be put out of power by enforcing
the highest law Of the land, the
Constitution.
The Republican party. as q mat
ter of fact, has just won an uHl.
precedented political victory on q
platform whose chief issue was en-
forcement OF the Eighteenth
Amendment.
The principal appeal Of the
Democratic candidate was his prom
ise to use his high office to urge
a relaxation OF the LIQUOR laws.
Against that appeal millions OF
votes were massed by men and
women determined to suffer no
concession TO the liquor traffic.
You say that you believe there j.
''an enormous middle class, which
probably is q ma jority class, who be-
lieve In temperance and believe IN
personal liberty and realize that
temperance can be secured without
prohibition, and never can be Sc
cured with prohibition. !"
Queries Citixenry
In . diggracefIil situation such as
now confronts this great country
of ours we have the right to ask
Of every intelligent citizen an an.
swer to the following: Are you
for the bootlegger, the speakeasy
and law defiance; or are you for
the Government, the Constitution
and law observance?'' With respect
to the above. there can be no mid.
die class"
1t seems to me that the sentiment
Of the people on this question is ex-
pressed by the voting of representa-
tives they send to Congress, where
the liquor laws must be modified II
at all.
Each succeeding Congress is drier
than the last. Out of 96 members of
the Senate, so are dry. OF the 435
members Of the House, 329 are dry.
Among the cities in the last election
which turned from the frank liquor
appeal Of the Democratic candidate
and gave their votes to Herbert
Hoover, were Chicago, Philadelphia,
Detroit, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Los
Angeles, Buffalo and Cincinnati.
II the Republican party was swept
into power by its promise of law en-
forcement, how can it be put out
Of power" by carrying out its
pledge?
cannot believe that, pending ap-
peal, you countenance notification
Of part of the Constitution by nom
observance and nonenforcement,
turning the country over to the or
ganized bootleggers, hijackers, polit.
icaI corruptionists and murder gangs
now rampant.
i believe that great good will come
out of the public interest and public
discussion stimulated by your prize
offer. In the strict sense OF the
word, the only possible plan to re-
peal the Eighteenth Amendment" is
already in existence, embedded in the
Constitution of the United States.
nana ~ anaAnd naaNt f. fhA Gan.