The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-03-07

1NA SNAii$AiS ehAC SIIilC1 dClluJCCHG VI
inefficiently organized. To consider
these evils, to find their remedy, is
the most sore necessity of our times.
Enforcement of the 18th Amendment
Of the undoubted abuses which
have grown up under the 18th amend
ment, part are due to the causes l
have just mentioned; but part are
due to the failure of some states to
accept their share of responsibility
for concurrent enforcement and to
the failure of many states and local
officials to accept the obligation I'M
der their oath of office zealously to
enforce the laws. With the failures
from these many. causes has come a
dangerous expansion in the criminal
elements who have found enlarged
opportunities in dealing in illegal
liquor.
But large responsibility rests
directly upon our citizens. There
would be little traffic in illegal liquor
if only criminals patronized it. We
must awake to the fact that this
patronage from large numbers of
law-abiding citizens is supplying the
reward and stimulating crime.
| have been selected by you to exc
cute and enforce the laws OF the
country. l. propose to do so to the
extent of my own abilities, but the
measure of success that the govern
ment shall attain will depend upon
the moral support which you, as
citizens, extend. The duty of citizens
to support the laws of the land is
co-equal with the duty of their gov
eminent to enforce the laws which
exist. No greater national service
can be given by men and women of
good will-who, l know are not I'M
mindful of the responsibilities of
citizenship-than that they should,
by their example, assist in stamping
out crime and outlawry by refusing
participation in and condemning all
transactions with illegal liquor. Our
whole system of self-government will
crumble either if officials elect what
laws they will enforce or citizens
elect what laws they will support
The worst evil of disregard for some
law is that it destroys respect for all
law. For our citizens to patronize
the violation of a particular law on
the ground that they are opposed to
it is destructive of the very basis of
all that protection of life, of homes,
and property which they rightly claim
under the laws. If citizens do not
like law, their duty as honest men
and women is to discourage its viola
ton: their right is openly to work for
its repeal
To those of criminal mind there
can be no appeal but vigorous en-
forcement of the law. Fortunately
they are but a small percentage of
our people. Their activities must be
stopped.
A National Investigation
propose to appoint national
commission for a searching investiga-
ton of the whole structure of our
federal system of Jurisprudence, to
include the method of enforcement of
the 18th amendment and the causes
of abuse under it. Its purpose will
be to make such recommendations for
reorganization of federal laws and
court procedure as may be found de-
sirable. In the meantime it is essen
tial that large part of the enforce
ment activities be transferred from
the treasury department to the de-
partment of justice as beginning of
more effective organization.
The Relation of Government to Bust
The election has again confirmed
the determination of the American
PCoPiS CiielC Leg uldtiOu VI pIlNdCC Gil
terprise and not government owner
ship or operation is the course rightly
to be pursued in our relation to bust
ness.
In recent years we have established
a differentiation in the whole method
of business regulation between the
industries which produce and dis
tribute commodities on the one hand,
and public utilities on the other. In
the former, our laws insist upon eff
fective competition in the latter, be-
cause we substantially confer a
monopoly by limiting competition,
we must regulate their services and
rates. The rigid enforcement of the
laws applicable to both groups is the
very base of equal opportunity and
freedom from domination for all our
people, and it is just as essential for
the stability and prosperity of bust
ness itself as for the protection of
the public at large. Such regulation
should be extended by the federal
government within the limitations of
the constitution and only when the
individual states are without power to