The Issue Defined

Senator Fess of Ohio made public a letter to Governor Smith of New York, criticising the memorial recently sent by him at the direction of the state legislature to Congress favoring "wine and beer." Senator Fess believes that the time for compromising is past, that enforcement is the only issue in the prohibition question now, and that the American people are overwhelmingly in favor of the law as it stands.

"The people of this country," said the Senator from Ohio, "are not against prohibition, but are for it. The 2.75 beer compromise was offered to Ohio, a great industrial state, and was defeated by over 189,000. California in the last election adopted a state code in harmony with the Federal act by a majority of over 30,000, when two years before such a measure was defeated by 65,000. These beer compromise measures have been defeated by referendum votes in Michigan by 207,000; in Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and other states.

"There can be no compromise with lawlessness. . . . When the people do not want the Eighteenth Amendment they can repeal it."