The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-11-11
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER Il, 1882
A Change Certainly Indicated

Not merely the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as president of the United States suffieed to convince majority of peo- ple that their dry laws are shortly to become things of the past. A careful survey of the changes in congressional seats, both houses reveals marked swing to wet candidates. There will be majority in both branches for the coming lame-duck session to end the 72nd Congress. There will be almost two-thirds in the new 73rd Congress. In addition to that at least twelve states registered distinct disapproval with prohibition by some form of referen- dim.
 When states like Colorado deliver vote against prohibition. the first there in this direction since 1914. change of opinion IS occurring in this nation. There is nothing radical about this change of opinion. It IS the product of one of the worst amendments ever placed on our statute books. Control of liquor manufacture and consumption by nation should never be entrusted to consti- tutional authority, We realized that some years ago. but mainly by desperate efforts on the part of dry organizations We have been kept blindfolded as to the true status of affairs in the United States.
 ..sIf poll were taken of the people who have come to hate the 18th Amendment, we honestly believe that good majority of them would confess to be teetotalers or be- hevers in temperance. We wonder if the some can be said of the prohibition forces We probably should be more charitable and state that all of them would have to be of this viewpoint to support their cause. But events of the last twelve years have often taused us to wonder if such is really the case. At any rate the point we are driv- ing at is simply this There are many peo- pie anxious to preach doctrine of temper ance in the United States but not one of prohibition.
 {. Arizona has been bone dry almost sinee its admission to the Union. Now 1t losses aside an l8-year-old dry law. California voted down its state enforcement act. It also voted for constitutional amendment to permit states to regulate liquor traffic. Col orado. as we stated above. has voted wet for the first time since 1914. Connecticut will memorialize Congress to repeal the 18th Amendment. Louisiana by IA to vote repealed its state enforcement act and al9o voted to request Congress to call convention to repeal the 18th Amendment. V Michigan voted to repeal its l6-year-old state dry law Montana declared itself Tn favor of the 18th Amendments repeal. New Jersey doesn't want to keep its state enforcement act and its republican senator. Warren Barbour. may become the new wet leader on the republican side. North Dakota has been dry ever since 1t entered the Union in 1889. but Tuesday it voted'to repeal the state dry law. This was the third time the wet and dry fight was fought in this state and the first time repeal won. Oregon, long regarded as prohibitions stronghold, / has zone wet and in no uncertain fashion, Ore 9on. you may remember. went dry in 1910. even before we were in the World War. Only one dry law survived Washingtons referendum. that making it felony to sell liquor to minor. Wyoming voted in favor of the 9th amendment repeal, but this won't affect its state dry law, save to create more disrespect for 1t.
 ss It must not be thought that these are the only twelve states in the Union that have despaired of making prohibition work able in the United States. They are merely twelve more that have joined the procession. 1t is getting longer every month. In time 1t will include every state in the Union. But before that day. we are sure. that prohibi- ton will have been wiped from our statute books and in its place substituted state con- trol of liquor manufacture and sale.