The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-02-21
THE FLOWING TIDE.

The flowing tide of revolt against Prohibition which engulfed the United States last December, sweeping away State Prohibition enforcement laws and registering the then peak Of public appropa- ton of the political party and candidates witn the courage to advocate outright repeal, demolished all barriers in the House of Representatives Monday as it had done in the Senate last week. That IS the real reason that Congress has passed the Blaine resolution submitting to the States the question of repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment.
 The anti-Prohibitionists really won the engage ment which is the opening one of 48 to come, last November But its fruits were not reaped until vesterdav It's importance cannot be overemphasized Though it is only step toward repeal it is the essential step Until it taken no lines could be formed for the others Two actions have yet to be taken before the wet and dry forces can swing into action on fronts from the Atlantic sea- board to the Pacific Ocean and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico One of these is ministeral-tne pronulgaton of the Resolution of Repeal by the Secretary of State to the several States The second is the enactment of legislation by Congress to provide the necessary machinery to call the State conVen- tions required to act upon the repeaer. There ought to be no serious difficulty in passing legisa- ton for that purpose. If Congress would pass the repealer over the last-ditch protests of the dry strategists it certainly will provide the means to act on the repeal vehicle.
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 The drys probably will use every strategy at their command to delay action on this legislation Just now their main effort will be devoted to delay, in the hope of gaining time to reorganize their shattered ranks and repensh their all but depleted treasury.
 While they are hampering further legislative action by Congress. they will be organizing for the fight in every State. Although on the defensive, theirs is the easier task. They have but to block ratification in 13 States to hold on to what they have. The vets must win 36 out of the 48 battles if National Prohibition is to be wiped off the Constitution.
 It will be a furious campaign. Obviously the Prohbitionsts will seek to make the return of the saloon the predominant issue. The Repeal Resou- tion does not mention the word saloon in any way It provides for the return to the individual States the power to control the manufacture and sale of intoxicating beverages. How that control shall bt exercised what form of sale shall be provided will if the resolution be ratified be left to each State The only connection proposed for the Fedora Government is that it will undertake to protect dr! States from liquor importations. That is not departure from previous practice. For years befor the advent of National Prohibition, the Fedora Government had undertaken to do that with mor' less
 Undoubtedly the fear Of the return of the salooI will cause some who opposed to Federal hquo control to oppose repeal Just how far-reachng tn effect of that fear will be rests almost wholly upo the vets. If they conduct a campaign based upo intelligent administration of sound liquor contro diyorcing the business from politics, sharply limit ing private profits and instuting therefor taxatio to relieve the burdensome taxes now imposed upo other industries and individuals, the saloon bugabo can be exploded everywhere except in less enlght ened communities where passion and prejudice talk the place of ordered reasoning.
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 If delay is the present aim of the Prohibtionists speed should be the first consideration of the repeal ists The heated iron bends easily It is hots now Last Novembers landslide is still fresh in the mind of the people. The passage of the repeal bill b this Congress proves that conclusively. The tre pledged to outright repeal, the enactment of tn repealer gives momentum to the whc will carry it far among the individual States speedy action be had.
 The cry for a balanced budget, which will sure make necessary some new taxation and increases some of the existing schedules, operates in fave of the -Prohbitionists Here is a source taxation from an industry that is already operatin illegally it is true not only without paying or cent of taxes to any government but also at actual cost of millions of dollars annually to u Federal Government. Taxation of a legalized liqu trade will bring sorely needed millions in revenl to both State and Federal governments at the san time that legalization more millions no wasted on futile attempt to enforce the Prt hbition laws.
 ,s,,ea, If the Eighteenth Amendment, of cours