Show Prohibition Issue I i Is Still Alive 1 I i By Frederic J J. J J Ji it i t In I writing a letter to a friend in 1789 Benjamin Franklin said of the constitution that it gave promise of ot lasting but he added the qualification qualification tion Hon that in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes Were the the kite flying philosopher and statesmen alive today ne tie might add to this qualification For Instance le he he might include industrial friction I and conflict in his list of tho the perennial perennial peren peren- nial and wIngs to which human kind is iB heir Also he might Include prohibition and the numerous and side Issues of that subject for it ap- ap I b bears ears that we were are re to have tho the prohibition prohibition question always with us There were were those who thought It was settled settled settled set set- when the eighteenth amend- amend J ent a as ag adopted and the 1 law w was enacted Not so It bobs up everywhere and all the time J t The wets are demonstrating that they are re lineal descendants of the original die hards Just now they are excited over a wide pation-wide poll dr straw vote which to date has in indicated indicated In- In a substantial majority In sentiment favoring the repeal of the prohibitory amendment or some modification of ot the law and nd they are marshaling their forces for further tests over the issue before before before be be- fore the present session session of the congress congress congress con con- gress Is permitted to adjourn At Atthe Atthe Atthe the same time the question is being Injected into primary contests and will be much heard of during the campaign that will wn close with the November NoI November No No- v vember elections I Senator Reeds Reed's In Missouri brought much comfort to the wets for he lie is outspokenly on their side of the question one question one of or orthe the few fe men prominent in public lii life who vl o have have v ll d-ll the e cour courage ge of or orthe stand stand stand- the hardihood to take that and he is running against an avowed dry candidate On the other hand the drys point out that there were other issues involved in tae me Missouri contest and scout the idea that any significance is to be to the result in so far as is concerned Thus the fires of argument argument ment are fanned and the unprejudiced diced diced it if there are any such where this question is raised raised may may take their choice holce of sides How Ilow la be Made Ine There are several ways of bringing bringing bringing bring bring- ing about bout test votes v nen it Is decided decided decided de de- de- de that the time has come to put members of ot congress on record again One such is to tack on a rider to the soldiers' soldiers bonus bill providing for Cor the manufacture and ana sale of light wines and beer under a tax su sufficiently high to raise the funds necessary to pay the bonus Such a move move is to be expected from the wets but support will be urged on the grounds that the soldiers are entitled entitled entitled en en- titled to the bonus that the only thing that stands In the way of this recognition of their services is a lack of money and that this little scheme will not only produce enough tunas funds to meet this demand but will provIde provide provide pro pro- vide a surplus for other government needs This p proposal may not get by but It will cause senators and representatives representatives representatives to do some heavy thinking before they make up their minds which way to vote on it II It It may be said to be loaded with several kinds of political dynamite Another way of bringing tho prohibition prohibition prohibition pro pro- issue to the fore foro again is in connection with the ship subsidy bill It Is well known that government ships now being operates operated have bars and cater to the thirsty they I are outside the three-mile three limit of oC the United States as do the passenger passenger ser ger ger vessels of other nations Whether er this Is a violation of the law has not been definitely determined determined determined deter deter- mined as yet but it is a source of concern to the drys TIle The wets cite it as evidence that there is ms a growing growIng growing grow grow- ing sentiment against prohibition prohibition or the enforcement act at least Otherwise they say government officials officials of ot- would not permit such a a. thing Various amendments can De be proposed proposed proposed pro pro- posed to the subsidy measure that will precipitate the issue One might stipulate that no subsidy should bo be paid to a company which had bars or permitted the sale of Intoxicants on the vessel which it operates Another Another Another An An- other might embody a change In tho the law so that it would not ap apply apply apply ap- ap ply to United States ships when they are outside the three-mile three limit and would thus legalize unquestionably what is now being done Still another another another an an- other might simply provide for the repeal of the enforcement act The last whether proposed as a rider to the subsidy or any other i bill or submitted as a distinct measure measure meas meas- ure re I is the he o one e way of return to pre- pre I r prohibition days No one now contemplates contemplates contemplates con con- templates seriously an attempt to repeal repeal repeal re re- peal or revoke the eighteenth ame amend amend- d- d ment To accomplish this would require require re require re- re quire another constitutional ment and when it is apparent that it would b be bd impossible to secure the votes of three-fourths three of the states I to a new amendment that would eliminate prohibition from the tIle nations nation's nations nation's nations nation's na na- na- na tion's organic law However the amendment amendment amendment amend amend- ment merely prohibits the manufacture manufacture manufacture ture transportation sale and use for beverage purposes of intoxicating ing liquor It does not define in intoxicants intoxicants intoxicants in- in toxicants and it does not provide any penalties for violation of the Continued to Page Four o 0 o U u PROHIBITION ISSUE STILL STILL ALIVE ALIVE Continued from Page One I amendment or any means for enforcing I ing it All t this was Gone done Cone In iii the the Vol Vol- stead law and If It were ere t to to be repealed repealed re- re pealed prohibition would be as dead as John Barleycorn Is now supposed ed to be Repeal Improvable Improbable Il H t But It Is not anticipated that an effort will be made in earnest to repeal re repeal repeal re- re peal the law it may l jle he e proposed as a tact tactical cai move but with no idea of putting It over Only the wettest of DC the wets favor tavor a re e urn to the days of the saloon and hard liquor and they are in a hopeless s minority Accordingly the real play will b b. b for such a modification of the Vol Vol- stead law that beer und and light wines may be manufactured sow soul and m used tIRed anywhere in the country c except e in those states that ha hail l a. t state ten before the t in to the federal constitution Advocates s of or this proposal claim that thai it a will wIp promote promote promote pro pro- mote temperance even If it Is a blow aimed at absolute prohibition They argue that It will go ending the present Illegal traffic in wl whisky moonshine a and d other hard stuffs basing their contention on the i idea ea eatha that tha t those who Insist upon upon POJ having lla int some kind of alcoholic alcoholic stimulant will be satisfied with wines and beer belH that are not distinctly and anti will cease patronizing bootleggers and rum The drys see ee no force to this argument argument ar ar- and are arc arc opposed to any changes In the law aw save such as ris might make it it stronger They insist that If it the bars are arc let letdown down down orr or rather opened up up-to up to beer and light wines the whole objectionable objectionable objectionable ob ob- liquor traffic trade will fasten Its tentacles on the c country again Moreover they are quite confident that an overwhelming majority of the l people eople of the United States are with them and that they have the wets defeated In any move they may make Prohibition la Is I not a failure they say and It Is only a matter of time until Its enforcement will be practically absolute With the plans and arguments of or both sides clearly in evidence only one thing is certain and that Is that we have the prohibition question I still till with us and that It will continue le I with us for some time to come conic I |