The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-02-16
RICHIE SEEKS
ON
REPEAL STAND
Law Regulating Shipments
His Only Substitute for
Dry Amendment.
FRIENDS PRESS BOOM
Rising Tide of Opposition
to Prohibition, Asserts
Maryland Governor.
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER,
United Press staff Correspondent
Downright. 1881. by United Prsssl

ANNAPOLIS, Md, Feb. 16.-Un-
conditional repeal of the eighteenth
amendment without any federal
substitute except a law regulating
interstate shipments of LIQUOR to
protect dry states is the platform
upon which Governor Albert C.
Ritchie of Maryland will offer him
self as a receptive candidate for
the Democratic presidential nom
nation next year.
Governor Ritchie, Just entering
his fourth term, has made no for
NAL announcement of his candida
cy, but his friends already are at
work on his behalf.
Large campaign buttons bearing
his photograph and the slogan.
Our Next President" are being
worn around the statehouse here.
He stepped aside for Governor
Smith in 1928 and his friends be-
lieve he has earned the right to
press his candidacy next year.
Repeal Is First Task
Governor Ritchie will stake his
case on q conviction that there is
a rapidly growing tide of opposition
to prohibition which by next year
will lead the Democratic party to
take the anti-prohibition side of
the contest.
In enacting federal prohibition
the government of the United
States entered upon a field which it
should never have invaded" he said.
Numerous suggestions have been
made for dealing with the unfor-
tunate conditions which have re-
suited from this unwise step. But
I think the first thing to do about
it is to repeal the eighteenth
amendment and the Volstead act
and turn the problem back to the.
states.
There is just one safeguard that
should be insisted upon and that Is
federal legislation similar to the
Webb-Kenyon act of prohibit
ton days by which the federal gov
eminent would prevent shipment of
liquor into states having prohibit
ton. This is a control over inter
state commerce which the federal
government should properly exer-
else.
Cites Wickersham Report
What I said in my recent adj
dress regarding the injury prohibit
ton has done to the cause of rea-
soned temperance, the unhappy
temptations it has offered to the
youth of the land and the laWless-
ness and disregard for law which
have resulted from putting prohibit
ton into the Constitution, has been
fully borne out by the report OF the
WickerSlam commission.
ut is a pity that this report was
subjected to a misleading interpre-
tation as favoring the present ex-
pertinent when at least six of the
commission favor repeal of the
eighteenth amendment"
The Governor pointed out that
two of the commissioners favored
unconditional repeal while four 9TH
ers favored immediate revision or
modification to permit flexible con-
troll, which, in the words of Dean
Roscoe Pound. would be adapted to
local conditions in places where, as
things are at least, it is futile to
seek nationally enforced general
total abstinence"
Preserve Respect for Law
Respect for law, and the funda-
.1f M 7r1 d..
tegrity and decency; these must be
preserved at all oosts. Without
them, neither this nor any other
country can long endure"
Ritchie said that while he could
not indorse Judge Anderson's plan
or the suggested revision of the
eighteenth amendment, he was glad
to see them put forward for dis
cussion.
IT think it would be unwise for us
to bind ourselves to far in advance
of change as to what we would do
once that point had been reached"
he explained.
lone plan of control might seem
the best now. But as discussion pro-
ceeds it might be found that other
plans were better.
I'VE should not bind every state
in advance to adopt such pre-
conceived plan.
THAT would be a restriction by
the federal government as unwise in
principle as the present restriction
which a large proportion Of the
country has now rebelled against