Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-15

as much as they would under license
Now, everybody who is not living In a
land Of dreams. knows perfectly we'll that
the very men in every community who
most need reforming are the ones that are
least Inconvenience by the prohibitory
law. The are the first ones to learn the
location OF every speak easy in the
place. But, II prohibition cannot reform
this class. may It not at least keep tempta-
ton out Of the way of the young7 Now,
the truth is that all this talk about pro
tecting our boys is sheer twaddle. The
protection lie a myth. Prohibition really
creates the most dangerous kind Of tempta-
~tion-that which is hidden. but known.
Every young man that is at all liable to be
led astray under the license system, Is
far more liable to go astray under a sys-
tenn that encourages secret drinking. Who
wouldn't rather have his son go Into an
open saloon and get a glass of beer than
to have him Join his companions in some
back-room resort7 II there is any class
OF young men in the community that need
the protection of the law, they are GER
tainly not the ones that frequent the
Woman's Christian Temperance union
prayer meeting when the town is dry"
While the good women are pray
ing and thanking the Lord for
NiN hANdA bANCNAllb " pIOIlblAlOlls
these young fellows are probably
protecting themselves in the Club
room at the far end of some alley.
Fosters Law Breaking.
T. Prohibition creates widespread and
habitual law-breaking. Consider the num-
Der OF crimes that are committed every
hour Of the day in a dry" state. And con-
slider the bad moral effect OF this habit
nF auw-hraoBtnH an fho cftrtc ne To
creates the spirit Of lawlessness. 1t tends
to weaken and break down that respect
for the principle Of law and order which
is so essential to good citizenship. The
following story shows how even good men
are unconsciously affected by this bane-
full influence: Some years ago a clergy
mar went to a certain summer resort In
New Hampshire to spend his vacation. On
arriving in the town, he went to the lead
ing hotel. While waiting in the office for
the supper bell, he happened to open a
door, and found, in the next room, a we'll
appointed bar. The proprietor was in this
room, and the clergyman, pointing to the
bar, said, why. Mr.. -, how is this o.
'How's what?" answered the proprietor.
why, you have a bar here, and you are
evidently open for business" The hotel
man looked puzzled and said: "Of course,
I rave a bar. Couldn't you get what you
wanted?" "Oh, 1 didn't wish anything"
answer the minister, but I wondered how
you could run an open bar in a prohibit
ton town. The genial host felt relieved
when he found that his guest was not
complaining about the service. "Well,
WE'LL" he said, II didn't understand what
you meant. Why. that's easy. I'll tell
you how we work it up here. You see. I
was high sheriff Of this county last term,
and, while I dislike to blow my own horn,
1 want to tell you that / did what very few
men in this county would have done.
Every three months I raided my own bar
and had myself fined" AS he finished
this sentence, there was a look of genuine
pride in the eX-sheriff's face. He seemed
to be blissfully unconscious that there was
anything wrong about violating the law.
This story was told to the writer by the
Rev. DIR. E. A. WATSON of Newark. N. j.,
who was himself the clergyman that had
this conversation with the hotel man.
Hypocrisy the Guild.
Here is another story which shows the
effect of prohibition as a breeder of rank
hypocrisy. About four years ago, shortly
after a certain town on Long Island went
dry" a hotel keeper in this town re-
ceived a letter from a wholesale whisky
concern In Kentucky, reading some
thing like this: WI you kindly send
us the names OF any persons In your
town who. you think, might be likely to
purchase wet goods. We have a very fine
brand of whisky (naming the brand that
we should like to introduce in your town.
We shall be glad TO extend to you the
usual courtesy of 10 per cent commission
on all sales that we may make through the
list you send u.s." Well, the hotel man
thought he would have a little fun, and
so he made a list OF about thlrty-five OF
the most rabid prohibitionists in the place,
and sent the list to the whisky firm. He
thought 1t would be a fine joke on the
prohbitionists to have them deluged with
whisky circulars. And 1t turned out to be
a better Joke than he thought. For. at
the end of three months, he received a let
ter from the whisky people thanking him
for what he had done, and inclosing a
check for sH commission. This story
throws light on the curious circumstance
already referred to, that, as the prohlbi-
ton movement spreads, the consumption Of
liquor increases,
Summed Up by Eliot.
Ex-President Eliot of Harvard sums up
the whole case against prohibition In it's
effects on the social and political life. He
says: THE efforts to enforce 1t (prohibi-
tom during forty years past have had
some unlooked-for effects on public respect
for courts, judicial procedure, oaths and
law. legislatures and public servants. The
public have seen law defied, a whole gem
Grafton OF habltual law breakers, schooled
In evasion and shamelessness courts inef-
fective through fluctuations OF policy, de-
lays, perjuries, negligences and other mis-
carriages of Justice, officers OF the law
double faced and mercenary, legislators
timid and insincere." Such is the character
and the record Of prohibition.
The writer Of the present article does not
wish to minimize the evils and abuses that
have been allowed TO grow up and intrench
themselves in the liquor traffic, There is
no doubt that some liquor dealers have
condoned and encouraged conditions re-
pugnant to moral sense and destructive OF
decency and good order. They have en-
couraged other vices, such as gambling and
the social evil. They have catered and
pandered to the worst passions and inn
pulses in human nature. And they have
done all this In a cold-blooded desire TO
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