Show l Ji Time for the Test 1 jt PROHIBITION cannot continue on its presS present pres- pres S J ent eni course without inviting disaster fo for the whole fabric of f law enforcement Either Eithe S prohibition p oh must be be made to prohibit prohibit or th the theS act must be so modified that th the theof I I provisions of the he law c can n be enforced Present Pres Pres- ent rit nt indi indications are ire that further efforts will be betTIa made e to enforce the dry laws before the movement to amend will find official favor President Preside t Coolidge in his annual message message to congress reflects a determination to have prohibition enforced He Fe urges that enforcement enforcement enforce enforce- ment blent officers be placed under civil service r i regulations g la ons which no doubt would be a move in the he right Bright direction Under the present sy tern ht there iere is l n no more nore attractive political plums plum th than those attached I to appointments in th the p prohibition service The record is blotted with th he names of agents and officers who have lave gone wrong A gigantic sum of money money is involved in inthe the fC conduct tf of tI the e illicit liquor traffic Being an n und underworld industry it is without ideals and arid is given to all crimes which will win aid or protect illicit production Chief hief among these is is' bribery resulting in immunity for operators who c enjoy joy the favor favo of of the prohibition tion forces 1 U It be misleading to say that this I ds is characteristic ot of the service but so many c cases s of corruption have been uncovered that ir appears ppe rs highly important that prohibition n Ts rs b be s selected with greater care 1 Thc plan proposed by President Coolidge seem to b be it would woul serve ere er ert t place c ce the service S on S a merit rit basis ids insuring S S g f l for ho honest lO t a agents Atlie Ai t i. i l t 1 J t ti i 1 V tf IU 5 I I I 7 t. I I n H iI k 0 a 1 t u Id 1 present present tin time the the ad advantages ant of of the the service would seem to be on the side of dishonest officers and those who are easily tempted The departure proposed by the president appears appears appears ap ap- ap- ap pears to be the most substantial suggestion yet made for increasing the moral standard of the prohibition service President Coolidge also suggests more effective legislation to reach each rum runners who c carry rry their goods from one state to another This sho should ld serve to bring a ta closer cooperation cooperation cooperation tion among the states states' in the enforcement of the dry laws It would be p particularly beneficial beneficial beneficial bene bene- to states of dry sentiment which adjoin those those- which are arc not in sympathy with the prohibition movement Now i is is 3 a good tine time to strengthen the prohibition law with the view of determining once and for a dry nation is a practical hope or a hopeless vision The quickest way to force the thc repeal of an obnoxious us law i is to insist upon its complete complete com corn enforcement S So it is with with prohibition and the present order Ve We haven't prohibition prohibition tion ion today and ind perhaps many favor it who wouldn't if they had it I There here is but one way ay to dispose o of the issue and that is to have prohibition or determine that it cannot be accomplished in the measure our people had hoped The most disgraceful and damaging thing about prohibition is the lack of enforcement enforcement enforce enforce- ment mint of its drastic provisions s which sullies the character and deadens the conscience of the American people I t |