The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-28
ARTICLE SIX
We, the People

+" WE, the people Of the United
w States, in order to form a
more perfect union, establish JUS
tice, insure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare and
secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity, do
ordain and establish-that-the
manufacture, sale, or transporta-
ton Of intoxicating liquors for
beverage purposes is hereby pro-
hibited."
Stripped of nonessentials, such is
the declaration of the Constitution
of the United States concerning
prohibition. 1t is, I think, the
strangest and most incongruous
sentence ever devised since man
first began to grope for truth with
words.
The earnestness and clarity of The
liberty-loving founders Of our re-
public have been joined in strange
Wedlock with the language Of the
Anti-Saloon League to assert the
purposes of which the eighteenth
amendment was adopted.
In joining these two component
parts together, have done no vio-
lence to the text of the documents.
However unrelated the propositions
appear, they are written plainly in
the Constitution for all to read. Let
them stand as a sort Of deformed
mile-post to indicate how far we
have travelled from our beginnings.
The manufacture, sale or trans
portation of intoxicating liquors
for beverage purposes is hereby
prohibited in order to secure the
blessings of liberty.
Can you imagine the effect of
such a monstrous paradox upon
George Washington, who held that
"the foundation of our government
is laid in private morals?"
Can you believe that James Madi-
son, Alexander Hamilton, or Thomas
jefferson could have written such a
sentence?
Can you hear the resonance of
Old Hickory Jackson's voice BOOM
ing it out, just before his famous
toast?
Can you believe that Abraham
Lincoln would have Endorsed it?
Lincoln, who counseled so wisely
against amending the Constitution?
Can you not hear the reaction,
curt and vivid, of "nature-faker!"
from Theodore Roosevelt. upon
meeting this misshapen masquerade
Of logic?
rs it not a proposition to raise the
Il laughter of the lusty gods of high
Olympus or to rouse the indignation
of every worshipper of liberty?
To be appreciated in all its lux
urious debauchery of reason, it must
be repeated frequently. I commend
it as a substitute for the crossword
puzzle; or, taken instead of the
daily dozen, its use is guaranteed to
undermine the strongest mentality.
That we may understand how
these two opposed PHILOSOPHERS, lib
erty and prohibition, have been
yoked together, 1 quote again the
glorious words of the Constitution,
words that will remain immortal SO
long as this republic stands:
We, the people of the United
States, in order to form a more
perfect union, establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility, pro-
vide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare, and
secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our poSterity, do
ordsin and establish this Consti-
tuition for the United States of
America.
This language was devised after
searching elaboration by the sin
cereSt and ablest patriots ever called
together to insure the establishment
of free government.
1t expresses the purposes for
which our government was created.
1t is the foundation upon which the
entire SuperStructure of organic
government, including the Consti-
tuition itself, is erected. 1t is the
spirit without which law
and government would be ineffective
and imperative.
Such was the doctrine of the
fathers of the republic; such was
the inspiration of the Declaration of
such was the object
of the revolution.
= r.
AIONE better knew than the
1N trainers of the Constitution
that power feeds on power; that