PROHIBITION

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11783, 20 March 1924, Page 4

PROHIBITION

WHO SHALL BE BELIEVED? (To the Editor, "N.Z. Times.") With reference to Mr J. D. SievWright's letter in your issue of to-day, as to who ie to be believed; I think we may certainly say that the political leaders should be believed, because they certainly know whether or not the public as a whole considers that prohibition is a satisfactory solution of the liquor problem. - May I quote statements made by Republican and also Democratic leaders in the United States? William E. Sweet is tho Governor of Colorado, and is a democrat called in council with regard to the national platform. This is what ho says, “In my opinion there is not the slightest danger of either party going to the polls on a modification platform. The leaders are too keenly cognisant of the disastrous effect such a move would have on party chances/' I could give you a largo number of quotations from other Democratic leaders, but that one will servo as typical. It is further significant that seven Democratic States, which twelve months ago favoured modification, have now abandoned modification proposals. Chesley H. Searcy, Republican Committeeman for Kentucky, .-tated that "the Republican Party woull most certainly take the same attitude towards a 'wet' plank and that he wo.iid very vigorously oppose such a plank if it were offered/' Homer B. Mann, another Republican State Committeeman, said, "It is my delibernto judgment that the Republican Party will never recede from its present position on that subject." May I conclude by mentioning that tho Rev. O. K. Kvale, mentioned by Mr Sievwright, declares himself iio be "drier" than Mr Volstead, and is a vigorous worker for making the "dry" law stricter. Also may I say that even if Commissioner Enright is correctly reported I cannot see how a police chief can classify men as "represented in the highest standards of honour and integrity" when they, according to Commissioner Enright, onenly flout a law that has been written to the Constitution of tihe United bate*?. They may not like the law, but men of honour and integrity would obey it until they had got it repealed by honest constitutional methods. J. MALTON MURRAY, Assistant Secretary, N.Z. Alliance. March 12 th.