Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-16

Llon or the eighteenth amendment
gives the Congress and the several
states concurrent power to enforce
the amendment. I am aware that the
States can, if they desire, enforce
within their own Jurisdictions the pro-
hibition which the Federal Constitution
now prescribes as the policy for the
whole United States.
THE fact remains, however, that the
first section of the eighteenth amend
ment is operative in every hamlet in
the land. It limits the power Of all
oficialS. 1t invalidates every legis-
legislative act which authorizes or
sanctions what the section prohibits.
1T has thus come to pass that
States or subdivisions of States whose
sympathy is not with the law feel them
selves relieved of responsibility for en-
forcement. They leave to an over
burdened Federal Government, with
wholly inadequate police force, the task
which before 1920 all the communities
Of the land in one way or another
were wrestling with.
I bring you no panacea for this
deplorable condition. I know Of no
magical solution. cannot, however,
stand before my friends and neighbors
and ask for their suffrage without hav-
ing them know my attitude toward the
problem:
"First. believe that the way out
of the present difficulty Is to recognize
clearly the fundamental difference be-
tween the nature of the Federal Gov
eminent and the State government.
I believe this involves a repeal of the
eighteenth amendment and the substi-
tuition therefor of an amendment which
will restore to the States the power to
determine their policy toward the liquor
traffic, and vest in the Federal Gov
eminent power to give all possible pro-
lection and assistance to those States
that desire complete prohibition against
invasion from the States that do not.
Would Vote for Change.
eff should be elected to the United
States Senate should be prepared to
vote for a resolution submitting to
the several States an amendment to
the Constitution In any form that
would accomplish the foregoing pur-
pose. do not believe that the funda-
mental difficulty can be reached by an
amendment of the Volstead act.
Second. The United States Senate,
as one OF the two branches of the Ma
tional Legislature, has q part in deter
mining the appropriations for Federal
law enforcement. SO long as the eight
zenith amendment and the statutes
hereunder are the law of the land
favor generous appropriations for their
enforcement.
II favor the use of such appropria-
tons. In the first place, for that portion
Of enforcement which Is pre-eminently
the duty of the Federal Government.
This means that the Federal Govern
ment would first direct its efforts to
keeping liquor from coming into the
country and to keeping the liquor from
passing into interstate commerce. While
there Is no doubt of the power of the
Federal Government under the eight
zenith amendment to perform local po-
lice duty in the suppression OF the liquor
traffic, it should be remembered that it
has a vast task in the purely Federal
field. Until 1t performs that task, it
might well leave all local police duty
with the States who have concurrent
power with the Federal Government In
the local field. Such method of en-
forcement would distribute responsibility
where 1t belongs.
I'm the foregoing discussion I have
tried to avoid the words wet and dry
1t does not help much in a solution of
problem to label men. Men labeled
wet may be as much opposed to the
saloon as men labeled dry.
Opposes Return Of Saloon.
1.-THE saloon must not come back. The
people Of the United States are rid of
the saloon-and well rid Of 1t. But in
the process Of Kidding ourselves Of the
saloon wholly upregulated liquor traf-
fic has grown up in this country. One
group blames it on disobedience Of the
law. 1t is not in such spirit that o
solution will be found.
1.-THE solution will be found when we
realize that the issue before us is O
Government problem. How can the