Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-05
ATTACK ON PROHIBITION.
NATIONAL MODEL LICENSE
LEAGUES PROPOSITION.
President Of Harvard Quoted as Out
lining Concurrent Evil Of Pro-
hibitive Legislation.

An attack on the proposed prohibition
legislation now before Congress Is con-
tanned in an address to the people just
issued by the National Model License
League. of which 7. NJ. Gilmore Is presi-
dent. 1t is stated that copies Of the ad
dress have been sent to every senator and
representative and that II will be mailed
to every voter in the United States within
the next two weeks.
The paper is addressed ito the people
of the United States and states in part
that sin urging the passage Of sump-
tuary laws the professional prohibftionts,.
and those who have fallen under the spell
OF his fervid oratory. picture the evils Of
inebrety and point to the licensed saloon
as dire menace to society.
Assume that in given community
the saloon has just been abolished. hnat
degSee of fulfillment of the glorious
prophecies of the prohibitionist has the
community a right to expect, judging
from the experience of other communi-
ties in recent and more remote times?
President Eliot of Harvard University
is then quoted as having said:
President Eliot Quoted.
There has been concurrent evil OF pro-
hibitory legislation. The efforts TO en-
force it during forty years have had some
unlooked-for effects on public respect for
courts, judicial proceedings. oaths and
law legislators and public servants. The
lawfi legislators and public servants. The
public has been law dehed. a whole gem
Grafton of habitual lawbreakers schooled
in evasion and shamelessness. courts In
effective through fluctuations OF policy,
delays, perjuries. nesligencies and other
miscarriages OF justice, ofncers or the Ia"
doublefaced and mercenary. legislators
timid and insincere, candidates for ONCE
hypocritical and trucking and ONCE
holders unfaIthful to pledges and reason
able public expectation. through an agl-
tation which has always had moral end:
these immoralities have been developed
and made conspicuous.
The circular then states:
1.-The United States census bureau has
tabulated the number of deaths attributed
to drunkenness In the various states. The
following figures tell the number OF such
deaths for each 10000 Of population for
the year 1900 (the last census):
Prohibition states-Maine. 218; New
Hampshire, 2.1S; Vermont, $40.
License states-Alabama. LILO: Indiana,
2.22: Kentucky. 1.6S: Missouri. Ito; Ne
braska, 1.5O: North Carolina. 1.84: Ore
gon. 1.21: Texas. 1.31; Tennessee. 1.93;
West Virginia. 1857. ..
"The average of deaths in the prohibi-
ton states is 2.41 and in the license states
1t is Leg. No encouragement Is offered
here for the hope that prohibition will de-
crease inebriety.
Summary Of Argument.
"In summing. up we find that prohibi-
ton has been denounced by the ablest
statesmen Of America; that 1t increases
the number of liquor dealers: that 1t in
creases the number Of deaths from drunk
enness; that IT increases the amount Of
crime; that it stagnates the state and
prevents prosperity and normal growth In
populations: that it brings the law into
contempt and corrupts public servants;
that 1t deprives the state Of large revenue
without comforting any benefit to offset
the loss.
eff the license holder violates the laws,
take away his license by means of a law
so framed that the court has no choice
but to suspend the license upon the re-
tailers first conviction of any offense and
to cancel 1t upon second conviction. Such
law would make II more profitable to
obey than to disobey the law and the law
would be obeyed. Violation of the law is
more profitable than obedience under the
present system In many states, and Is far
more so under prohibition.