PROHIBITION IN U.S.A.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIV, 11 April 1927, Page 6

PROHIBITION IN U.S.A.

(Per Press Association—Copyright. NEW YORK, April 9th. At Boston last evening, the most authoritative discussion on prohibition, since the amendment was enacted occurred when Senator Borah and Dr. Butler (President of Columbia University), debated the question: “Should the Republican National platform for 1928, advocate the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment.”

Dr. Butler, speaking in the affirmative, outlined the following argument in a forty-five minute speech. Prohibition is in no direct sense, a

question of morals. It is primarily and chiefly a question of Government. The Eighteenth Amendment is subversise of legislation and a revolutionary Act. It has nothing to do with the form or structure of Government; therefore, it does not belong to the constitution. Prohibition has filled this nation with a traffic in intoxicating liquors, illicit, illegal, untaxed and tremendously profitable. Prohibition interferes with the States’ right to deal with this question. There are States which do not desire prohibition. It interferes witji local self-government. The Eighteenth Amendment is the worst way of dealing with the liquor traffic and saloons. Prohibition agents, under the guise of law enforcement, commit murder, entrapment, and solicitations to crime. Law enforcement is impossible, when conflicting laws are to be enforced. The Eighteenth Amendment conflicts with the constitution/ It attempts to dragoon the body politic, when the need is to convince it. This could end only in revolt, and it has. Senator Borah, speaking for one hour, gave the following argument in the negative. The liquor traffic is a curse to the human family, and must be dealt with by law in some way to protect public interest. The American people have deliberately outlawed intoxicating liquor. The system is entitled to\a full trial, before talking of repeal. I believe it can be enforced. The Supreme Court has declared the Eighteenth Amendment constitutional. Prohibition violation will continue, but.

the battle against evil must continue. We cannot talk of repeal, unless we have a substitute programme ready. Increasing the alcoholic content to an extent greater than permitted under the Volstead Act, is not a solution. Modification is sheer political expediency. Government sale and distribution of liquor is a scheme born of confusion. Canadian scheme born of confusion. The Canadian system has proved unsuccessful and I do not think the American people want to go back to the old saloons. Government control means the old saloon under another name. The efforts being made against the Eighteenth Amendment are deliberate and organised attempts to nullify the constitution.

Obedience to the law is a fundamental principle, and upon this rests our Government. The dry States, under the system of control of liquor, by individual States, have their rights invaded by the shipment of liquor from wet States. There have been attempts from the very enactment of the amendment to prevent its being accepted in the minds of the American people. 1 X Dr. Butler had fifteen minutes for a speech in rebuttal of Senator Borah’s argument. No decision was reached, , The mission inspected the American Locomotive Company’s works at Schenectady. The Scotch patternmakers stated that frequent sympathetic strikes in Schenectady had destroyed uuio-ii'sin several years ago. One foreman, who served his apprenticeship in Glasgow, said the “Dailj' Mail” mission missed the point in its inquiry. The real lesson to be learned in America was that the workers were not afraid to finish the job quickly. The idea in Britain was that the workers wanted to see another job comingbefore finishing the one in hand. “Americans work rapidly, hoping to secure more jobs. Britisn migrants to America always must be taught the proper idea of production.”