The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1931-04-01
LIQUOR TRAFFIC CAN'T BE
RFGTT ,ATED

11S&OOtC 1hAff1C CAN i BE
REGULATED
I am old enough to remember the days
when attempts were made by the legisla-
ture and the officers of the law to regulate
the liquor traffic. and I say to you, it never
was regulated; it never will be regulated.
Sunday laws were disregarded early clos
ing was detied Sales to minors and ha-
bitual drunkards were continuously made.
And all these violations of the law were
committed, even though some of those
very laws were brought about in coopera-
ton with liquor interests themselves; and
no sooner were the laws enacted than liq-
uor organizations conspired to defy them.
l say to you:
THE WAY TO REGULATE THE
LIQUOR BUSINESS IS NOT BY
LEGISLATION BUT BY EXTERNII-
NATION
But we are told with much force and
eloquence by the proponents of this bill
and by the liquor interests and the vet
press, that prohibition causes crime; that
1t opens the door for the corruption of
officials. That statement makes me laugh.
That statement would make any man of
any experience laugh. There never was a
time in the old days when the liquor in
tereStS would not pack grand juries, bride
petit juries, and corrupt any public officer
who would allow its vile breath to enter
his Office.
THE CORRUPTION OF TODAY IS
ONLY THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC RUN
MING TRUE TO FORM
But we are told that the people have
spoken upon this subject and the will of
the people is supreme. The will of the
people is supreme when properly ex-
pressed, when directed in the right way.
WET REFERENDUM NO MANDATE
FOR REPEAL
How was this matter submitted to the
electorate of Illinois last November? It
was submitted under what is known as the
"Public Policy Act" That act reads:
Section 1. That on written petit
ton signed by 25 per cent of the reg
istered voters of any incorporated
town, village, city, township, county
or school district or 10 per cent of the
registered votes (voters) of the state,
it shall be the duty of the proper cleo
ton officers in each case to submit
any question of public policy so petit
toned for, to the electors of the in
corporated town. village, city, town.
ship, county, school district or state
as the case may be, at any general or
special election named in the petit
C1On: PROVIDED, such petltlOn is f1led
with the proper election officers in
each case not less than sixty 600 days
before the date of the election at
which the question or questions petit
toned for are to be submitted. Not
more than three propositions shall be
submitted at the same election and
such proposition shall be submitted
in the order of its filing.
Section g. Every question submitted
to electors shall be printed in plain,
prominent type, upon separate ball.
lot in form required by law the same
as public measure proposed to be
voted upon by the people.
There is not one word in that law which
specifically states, or states by implication,
that any senator is bound by it. Nothing
in that law says that the result Of a vote
under it is a mandate to the members Of
the general assembly. Why doesn't that
law state that when a proposition is car
ried, it shall be a mandate to the members
of the general assembly? I will tell you
why Because section of article of the
constitution of the United States guar
antees to every state a Republican form
of government, and if the public policy
act provided that vote taken under its
provisions should constitute command
or mandate to any member of the general
assembly, it would be in conflict with that
Y1rovicioY1 Of the constitution