The national prohibitionist. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1907-1911, 1908-02-20

The Kew. DIR. Algernon S. Crapsey, who some
thing over year ago. was in the limelight of
public notice for some weeks because of his
spectacular expulsion from the Protestant Epis-
copal church upon the charge of heresy, has sue
ceeded in getting another instalment of public
notice by rather remarkable championship of
the saloon and the liquor business
Recently DR., Crapsey was in Chicago for the
purpose of holding debate in which he was to
contend against a certain we'll known liberal
teacher that Jesus is historical character, not
myth. Coming upon that errand Dr. Crapsey
seized the opportunity to express his views con-
corning the saloon and is quoted by the daily
papers of Chicago in the following strain
Il do not believe the saloon would be an evil
OF any consequence if it not made so by law
The solution of the saloon question lies in giving
the greatest possible freedom consistent with the
maintenance of order
The European idea should prevail in this coun-
try as to the liquor question. In Europe there is
freedom as to the sale and purchase of intoxi-
eants The result is that there is comparatively
little drunkenness, as against conditions in this
country
One is very much impressed on the continent
with the fact that the Objectionable features
which surround the liquor traffic here are con-
sp1cuously absent There is virtually no disorder
over there and one sees little evidence of drink
ing to excess"
Anyone who is actually familiar with conditions
IN Continental Europe at once has his suspicious
aroused that DR.. Crapsey is not wholly we'll
informed authority upon the subject upon which
he processes to speak If anything is true con-
corning the liquor business in Europe it is that
1T is under the strctest sort of REGULATION"
prominent German said, only a few weeks ago,
that any attempt upon the part of the liquor
sellers Of Germany to conduct their business in
the fashion in which the saloons of the United
States are conducted, would put every liquor
seller in Germany in jail inside of twenty-four
hours.
This is less important, however, than the doc
tors misrepresentation concerning the results of
drink in Europe. Dr. Crapsey comes from the
city of Rochester, which is credited with popu-
lation in the neighborhood of 175OOO For pur-
poses of comparison and for valuable commentary
upon DR.. Crapsey's theory, this may be compared
with a German district of which the eminent
scientist Dr. Emil Kraepelin tells us in an article
which has been widely published in scientific
journals. Dr. Kraepelin in 1898 was at the head
of a hospital in district containing little more
than 100000 inhabitants, urban and rural say in
round numbers, four times the number of people
who live in Dr. Crapseys city of Rochester Dur
ing that year Dr. Kraepen made collection of
newspaper clippings relating to crime and disor-
ders produced by drink Concerning this he
makes the following statement:
"In the year 1898 I collected all the news
paper notices of crimes due to alcohol committed
in the district from which the patients in our
clinic drawn. This district in the year 1898
contained 640,673 inhabitants Of these 237,77O