| Show ANOTHER DRY referendum THIS time it Is the republican party of f the state of new kew jersey which in convention assembled has adopted a re resolution favoring the submission to the voters of that state ot of substantially the same question as that voted upon last year in new york state says the christian science monitor the essential feature ot of this bit 0 of meaningless rhetoric ostensibly put forward to serve as a method of ascertaining public sentiment on the so called prohibition issue Is its assumption that the eighteenth can by the congress ot of the united states so as to permit the manufacture sale and transportation of beverages which are not in fact intoxicating as determinedly determine dby the laws of the respective states just what these words mean Is a mystery that only their proponents can solve but taken in their evident sense they assert a belief that the congress possesses the power to delegate to the several state legislatures the right to determine whether or not an alcoholic compound Is or Is not intoxicating had the learned gentleman who forced this referendum scheme upon the republican party of new kew jersey been familiar with the constitution of the united states they would have known that the Con congress gresi has no power to provide for varying standards of intoxicating liquors as the respective states may determine the supreme court of the united states in construing the section of the eighteenth amendment giving the congress and the states concurrent power ifo for its enforcement settled once and tor for ats fill all the lie suggestion that the states could emend the federal enforcement law so as to weaken its provisions even though by what would amount am 0 to an overturning of american pu public balc sentiment a con gross gress should be elected that would un B der demise tRice to modify the Vol stend act as g suggested au by the referendum such action must necessarily be set aside by the supreme court on the ground that it was an unconstitutional delegation of authority to the states i whether the new jersey republicans who favor this program of dealing with a nonexistent non existent issue will gain votes cotesby vot esby by their catering to the wets g la Is highly doubtful the experience in now new york state aalst year when the republican candidates tor for governor and senator were defeated despite their re icren eren dum dUrn plank would indicate a nega 1 alye result |
