Catt, Carrie Chapman
Speech, Article, Book File
Article: "The Prohibition
Referendum"

Mrs. Catt - file
7-26-26
THE PROHIBITION REFERENDUM
[As] The referendum is a matter which has come up since the state 
convention, and the New York L.W.V. has not taken action on it. This does
not, however, mean that its members are not deeply interested in all the 
questions involved in it. They will be glad to have this frank statement of 
opinion from Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt given in her address at the Westchester 
County L.V.W.'s annual picnic.

".......The Democrats and Republicans who passed that referendum 
measure committed the nearest to a political crime that legislators can 
commit. They didn't have the courage to ask Congress directly to repeal 
the prohibition amendment nor to amend the Volstead act. They dared 
not even ask for a state referendum as to whether the Volstead act should 
be amended by Congress; but they put the resolution is so befuddled a way 
that its meaning is incomprehensible and must fool the voters. 

Congress will surely never do 
what the people of New York state ask, (if the referendum passes), because 
the Supreme Court would immediately declare the act void. However, if 
carried the word will go out all over the country that New York has [gone] voted 
wet and it was for these purposes of propaganda and not because they expected Congressional aclaim that the resolution was passed.

"When the League of Women Voters was formed we had one ideal for 
the newly enfranchised women - that of education for citizenship coupled 
with getting out the vote. [Now] I now realize that there is a much higher task 
for the women. Women who are courageous and far-seeing can perform 
a [great] monumental service to their country by setting themselves solidly against 
the dodging of political issues and by the demand that there be clear, 
honest statements of interest on platforms. The party which dares violate party 
pledges should be punished by being put out of power [office as a punishment]. Ten years of such 
policy even if begun by a minority would make American parties [responsible and] honorably adhere to [uphold] their 
party platform. [and give us a] Political responsibility would be established and parties we could proudly serve, [would] clean 
and honest would come into being.

Dear Goat.
It gets improved
as it travels. Perhaps
if you return it a few
times more it wil grow
into an immortal
Another Goat

Transcribed and reviewed by volunteers participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.