Judge — February 12, 1921 — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

——————————————E— 7 coma _ Drown by Hemwas Powe J UD G.E Georce I. Suesmner, Secretar , James S. Mercater Reveen P. Srescnen, Preside Perntron Maxwe OW that Prohibition is firmly established and no one can get a drink of wine, beer or spirits. it is rather interesting to consider what the first year of the institution has done for us. It has pretty well put the saloon out of bu ness. Saloons still exist in spots, but the public bar lly suppressed. and a very good job it is. There is no old plea that the saloon was the poor man’s w that it made possible the poor patience with club. because every one kr man’s club to go home and beat his wife with. and was a public and private nuisance in many other ways. Prohibition is « pretty high price to pay wiping out the saloon, but let us give the devil his due. If the people of the United St ins enough to keep the saloon suppressed without Law. they might just as well m Volstead law is a permanency. haven't br the aid of the Vol their minds that the ke up Je criminals of a N the other hand Prohibition has ms large number of persons who were formerly law-abiding citizens. Most of these are to be found in the newly created and tremendous army of home-brewers and amateur distillers Many a domestic kitchen has become a scene of crime. and many, many respectable housewives have become law-breakers and glory in their shame. Even at church sociables plump ar pleasing matrons may be heard exchanging confidences and experiences connected with the new domestic scignce. And there is enough of the spirit of ac'venture in even the mildest of women to make them take a strong interest in this elder brother of the canning and pickling virtues. Hip-toting has become the national game. Men who for merly would have been ashamed of carrying a flask make no bones of doing it now. Its slight spice of danger commends it to the daring and would-be devilish spirit of even young boys particularly at dances and other social gatherings in the rur. districts. Men, and women too, who never cared for drink find a new fascination in doing the thing they are told they must not do. Americans do not stop to count the money cost when a matter of unquestioned right or wrong is concerned, and no onc has publicly lamented the loss of the vast liquor revenues. Still, in view of our ruinous tax burdens and the doubtful righteousness of strict prohibition, there is a growing discon- tent with the swiftly increasing cost of making the Eighteenth Amendment even partly effective. Perhaps this aspect will receive more public discussion when to the cost of this en- ent is added the cost of suppressing the smoking of ree tobacco. Ce “4 F. Rottaver, Treasurer Grant E. Hasnuton, Jrt Editor witb ng Editor I AL Warprox, fisociate Editor ON: cealed result of Prohibition it is almost impossible to estimate with anything like accuracy Those in a position to know best state though that the number of secret drug and narcotic addicts has increased enormously in the past year in all circles, among all ag country alike Another effect. and this cannot poss change in the attitude of many citizens in their respect and regard for the law. This extends from a frivolous contempt in some cases to a bitter and resentful opposition in others. This attitude is a strong encouragement to the bootlegger Ours is a partnership government, and the silent: resistance to the law comes from the feeling of some of the partners that they have been tricked by the cunning of the others. The minority members of the firm. if they are a minority, feel that omething has been put over on them by their partners Only one legal loophole remains for the escape of drinkable virits, and even here the law is not working nicely. Spirituous juors may be manufactured and sold only for medicinal use. In spite of the perfect legality of this traffic. drug-store whisky and brandy are notoriously uncertain in quality and outrageous in cost. Physicians who still believe that in certain desperate iinesses—in the crisis of pneumonia, for instance—alcohol is the best stimulant, fear to prescribe the kind of stuff sold by the average druggist Since the Government has taken such complete and paternal charge of the drinking habits and privileges of its people. it would seem as though it ought to make it possible for sick folks to procure without extortion the pure stimulant, which may mean the difference between life and death. The more so since the Commissioner of Internal Revenue figures that there are more than forty million proof gallons of whisky and seven hundred thousand of brandy in the Government warehouses None of this can be less than a year old, and most of it is well aged. Bottled under seal and made the only liquor in which druggists could trafhe, the retail price fixed by the Government, this onght to provide one credit mark for Prohibition. ind in all localities, city and bly be measured. is the E have heard many claims of the emptying of hospitals and jails of alcoholic tenants. Also that delirium tre mens has become extinct. Later statements are very much to the contrary. The wood alcoho! cases don’t count because they don’t last long. It will take at least another year to establish this claim of Prohibition. Taking the year’s record as a whole, it seems to prove the certain establishment of new evils in our national life with the great benefits promised by the Prohibitionists yet to be shown. comicbooks.com