Evening star., 1933-11-09
After Repeal.

A4lCA &NSPOaA'
During the battle for repeal of the
eighteenth amendment, as State after
State joined the lengthening wet
column, a good many vets took the
position that while State control laws
which would prevent the return Of the
saloon, and in conformity with the
Democratic national platform really
promote temperance, were important
the first thing to be got out Of the
way was National prohibition. At the
same time, a good many drys, espe-
cially some conspicuous leaders, took
the position that the first line of de-
tense was retention of national prohi-
bition, and that until that line finally
and unquestionably was broken by the
vote of thirty-six States there would
be no retreat to the second position
which Is the fight to maintain State
prohibition laws, or their replacement
with strictly drawn measures designed
b curb traditional evils Of the liquor
traffic.
The administration leaders mean
while have been engaged in carrying
out one part Of the Democratic plat
form, which is the repeal Of the eight
eenth amendment, without reference to
the other part, which binds the party
20 urge the enactment of such meas
ures by the several States as will act
Hally promote temperance. effectively
prevent the return of the saloon and
bring the liquor traffic into the open
under complete supervision by the
States"
The result is that while Utah's vote
on Tuesday settled the fate of national
prohibition, and less than Q month re.
mains before the same State will form
ally ratify the twenty-hrst amendment
In the tnirty-sixth ratifying convention
on December 5, not much headway has
been made by the States in the draft
ing or adoption of the liquor control
acts effective after repeal. A corre-
spondent. analyzing the reasons for the
defeat Of the repeal movement in North
Carolina, tells the Baltimore Sun that
one important explanation Of that
States remaining definitely in the dry
column is that the -prohibitionists
Sailed to offer any real program for
liquor control after repeal The drys,
st the same time, made their real cam
paign on the ground that the important
subject to North Carolinians was future
liquor regulation in North Carolina, re-
gardless Of what the Nation chose to
do. To this the vets made no effective
answer. From South Carolina, the ex-
PLANTATION Is offered that vets took re-
peal for granted and held one rally, at
which Chairman Farley spoke. while
the drys got out and worked success
fully to keep South Carolina dry.
While thirty-seven States have voted
Tor repeal, only ten States have enacted
liquor regulations to become effective
after repeal. Nine other States will be
wet after repeal, having no Statewide
prohibition laws. OF these, eight have
proposals under consideration for SUBJ
mission to the Legislatures which will
meet or be called in special session this
gear.
Eighteen Of the States are now dry
by State law. Six of them have planned
to hold special sessions this year, at
which State prohibition and control
legislation will be acted on; in TWO of
them such sessions will be held in
January and in one, Vermont, a COM
mission is studying liquor control legis-
lation but no plans for a meeting of
the Legislature have been announced.
Nine Of the States have made no move
TO repeal the State prohibition laws.
There are eleven States which are dry
by State constitutional amendment,
eight of them plan to vote in 1884 on
the question Of repeating such amend
ments and three have made no plans.
Now that the first part of the Demo-
cratic plank on the liquor issue has been
10 all tntents and purposes carried out
py the states In voting in favor of
repeal, it is reasonable to expect that
the President will offer effective leader
ship in carrying out the equally i'm
portant second part-prevention of the
return of the saloon in States which
desire to be wet; protection against
importation of liquor in States which
desire to remain dry, and "the enact
nent Of such measures by the several
States as will actually promote tenn
perance"
The people have decided the issue of
repeal. The question now is prevention of
certain deadly evils which, in the opin-
ion Of majority, the eighteenth amend
ment could not prevent, and which the
ant-saloon vets as well as the Demo-
cratic party believe can best be pre-
vented by the States. The sort of
leadership which counted SO much in
sepealing the eighteenth amendment
must be exerted now, if the new fight
for temperance and effective liquor
brafic regulation is TO be successful.