Evening star., 1932-06-30

R|TCH|E APPEALS
FOR REPEAL PLANK
Governor Advances States
Rights Argument in Urging
Convention Support.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO STADIUM, June 30.-BaS-
ing his argument upon his familiar
State rights theme. Gov. Ritchie of
Maryland last night appealed to the
Democratic National Convention to
support repeal Of the eighteenth amend
ment.
Those States which want prohibi-
tion legislation are entitled to have 1t, :"
he said. If this meets the circum-
stances or desires of any Of the States,
then such States should be free and
undisturbed in their right to have the
legislation they wish. M-~e than that
effective Federal measures loIld be
established to protect such States
against shipments from other States
which would contravene their laws and
the will of their people
But other States whose problems
are different also should be free to
enact laws within their own borders
best suited to their conditions, laws
which in their experience are best
adapted to promote temperance, moral
ity and order among their own peoples.
Sees Revenue Relief.
"If national prohibition were re-
pealed and State control substituted" !"
he said, "the Federal revenues thus
derived would give infinite relief to an
overtaxed people. 1t would be entirely
unnecessary to have many OF the emer-
gency taxes which now Congress has
imposed. ."
After commenting on the present
Treasury situation and the new tax
law, Ritchie said:
DO away with it, and not only will
the American people be relieved OF these
new taxes when they are taxed more
than they can stand already but there
will be employment for thousands and
thousands of people now out of work,
new markets will be opened for the
farmer. and crime. the gangSter and
the racketeer will no longer be financed
by the outlaw profits of an outlaw
trade to victimize and prey upon peace
loving and law-abiding citizens.
Pending the repeal of the eighteenth
amendment, all these results would be
promoted by such. liberalization of the
Volstead act as the eighteenth amend
ment permits so as to allow the manu-
facture of light wines and beer.
II could go on. but time forbids. All
I am pleading for is that we do not
forget the fundamental political ele-
ments which have made US a great
Nation and a free people, and that we
crush all tendencies TO tamper with our
political foundations in any way which
might jeopardize the whole govern
mental superstructure."
Upholds Temperance.
Ritchie prefaced his address with an
assertion that he did not rise to a
question of wet or dry" but to one that
goes straight to the heart of American
institutions"
He upheld temperance as the goal
with which all should be concerned,
and said the greatest progress toward
| that end twas made before we mixed
morals, politics and legislation all up
| together and tried to do by govern
mental force and fiat what can only be
done by education and popular sane
ton and consent"
He continued:
''Our real progress was made before
we put prohibition in the Constitution,
where, as a matter OF sound govern
| ment it ought not to be. and when We
we're leaving 1t to the States, where as
a matter of sound government it ought
! to be-"
The Governor said he had been pro-
testing for more than 10 years against
the evils Of undue Government central
ization in Washington. He cited the
eighteenth amendment as "the most
outstanding illustration" Of them.
This amendment should never have
been put in the Constitution" he said
in conclusion "The time has come
when we can rectify that mistake and
take 1t out"