Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-24

branch of the Legislature in 12 States
lone more than one-fourth Of all the
States could block the ratification OF
repeal of the eighteenth amendment.
The leaders of the various anti-prohibi-
ton organizations realize the force OF
these things, Of course. But they real
ize also that even though the eighteenth
amendment is probably permanently
imbedded in our Federal Constitution,
it can be ignored and repealed by lack
of enforcement If the right people,
can be put in the right places. The
principal one of those places Is the
White House in Washington, D. c.
Know Their Constituencies.
What these anti-prohibition leaders
do not realize fully Is the fact that in
spite O: all the educational campaigns"
and plain propaganda and mistakes OF
enforcement that have created a large
outcry against prohibition, the majority
of the people of the country are still
against legalizing the liquor traffic. The
editors Of metropolitan newspapers
which condemn, and rightly condemn,
Congressman x for voting for the Jones
five and ten" law at 3 o'clock and then
going to his Office at $3.50 to phone his
bootlegger for a case of gin, simply do
not understand the honorable Mr.. K.
The eighteenth amendment and the
Volstead act did not cure his thirst.
But Congressman x, who spends many
months each year mingling with the
quarter-miflion people in his district,
attending picnics, making 4th OF July
orations, addressing unions on Labor
day, laying Masonic and Odd Fellows
corner stones, writing letters to veterans
who want their pensions increased and
kissing babies at election time, knows
very we'll that the great majority OF
the people of his district do not want
the prohibition amendment repealed.
There are q large number OF persons
in his district who crave liquor and
who manage to obtain it, but seven or
eight out of ten of the congressman S
constituents, counting both the men
and women, neither buy liquor nor sell
liquor.
VETS Have Made Gains.
I am often asked, Don't you really
think that prohibition is on its last
legs; that the VETS are gaining and
that most people are beginning to see
prohibition cannot be enforced?"
It would be folly to deny that the
"wets" have made considerable gain IN
the past few years. In the first place,
they have won some millions OF people
to the view that prohibition can't be
enforced. If they can continue win
ming additional numbers to that view,
then eventually they will be able to
put into Office men who will let the law
enforce itself-if it can. In a practical
way they have made a great gain in
securing the repeal of State enforce
ment laws in New York, New Jersey,
Montana, Nevada and Wisconsin,
throwing the entire burden Of enforce
ment upon the Federal Government.
I shall not denounce their activities
except by quoting what Senator Borah
has said:
"Bolshevism in Russia, FasciSm in
italy, military dictatorship in Poland,
promised dictatorship in other coun-
tries, increase of arbitrary power every
where and notification openly preached
in the United StateS-they are all
whelps from the same kennel, they are
barking at the same thing, to wit, con-
stitutional government"
The defeat of Gov. Smith in the last
presidential election did nothing to
allay the sentiment against prohibition.
Instead, it produced what might be
called an emotional hangover" The
defeat of their candidate ranked those
as President, could and would produce
a better method of dealing with the
liquor problem.
In another way; however. the candi-
dacy of Gov. Smith was beneficial to
the cause Of prohibition. Gov. Smith
conferred attention upon the subject.
Before he became a candidate the pro-
hibition and temperance organizations
had been disintegrating. They had
more or less been accepting prohibition
as an accomplished fact, and had been
in a disorganized or inactive condition,
to some extent.
What the Women Think.
The assault upon prohibition by Gov.
Smith revivified the forces that had