Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-03-25
REFLECTIONS
oHIBITI
BY WILLIAM H. sAwDfs.


PROHIBITION.
The bloody angle" Of the battle
with the liquor traffic has been con-
corning the question. Does prohibi-
ton prohibit" The answer depends
quite upon ones point of view.
There are two meanings to the
word prohibit" II you define 1t
to mean to forbid by legal enact
ment, then prohibition prohibits. IL
you define 1t to mean to cause to
stop. then prohibition may DR. may
not prohibit. The former definition
calls for no further comment; 1t is
complete In Itself. But the latter
calls for further consideration.
The Decalog, to be found imbed-
ded In the legislation of all civilized
people, specifically forbids by enact
ment certain evils, such as. murder,
adultery, theft and perjury. Is any
body SO naive as to suppose that by
such enactment such evils have been
done away forever? No; in other
words. prohibition of evils acknowl-
edged as such the world over does
not prohibit. But nobody has there
fore demanded the abrogation of the
Decalog.
Further reflection reveals to US
the high ideals embodied in these
ancient commands. They are so
commendable as at once to command
our assent, " although at the
same time we concede that because
of human weakness they may never
be fully realized. Nevertheless we
do not for a moment think of doing
away with them, but on the CON
trary by every means at our COM
mand continue to fight against the
evils they prohibit. In fact, 1t is a
distinct help In our fight against
them to point to the age-long legis-
lation in prohibition.
What about the liquor traffic? His
tory reveals that 1t has been with US
almost from the beginning, about as
long as murder. adultery. theft and
perjury. History also reveals that
In all ages the best sentiment has
ever been against It, as something
very harmful although It has re-
NAMED until our day to demonstrate
how absolutely and unnecessarily
harmful 1t 10 In every way. Outside
Of some Of those who are engaged
In the manufacture and sale OF al
cohoiic beverages. and some of
those who indulge in drinking the
same, there 10 hardly anybody who
has one good word TO say for 1.-THE
overwhelming opinion Is against II
as being harmful to the Individual
physically, mentally and morally.
What. then, ls the argument
against placing a law prohibiting It's
manufacture and sale upon our law
booksg To say that prohibition
does not prohibit is begging the
question. Whether 1t does or does
not has no more to do with II than
the same question has to do with the
prohibition OF murder. 1t is ad-
mittedly a great evil. That 1t should
be utterly stamped out is something
to be ardentiy desired. Why not,
then. register our prohibition of 1t
In legislation. ns one great point
won ia our battle? While It may
not prohibit at first at all, nor yet
aver fully prohibit. nevertheless he
would be q fool who should claim
that it will not nightly help in the
long run toward the end desired
else why are the friends of the
liquort rattle so unitedly fighting
against prohibitory laws
But 1t is an infringement upon
personal liberty; hat sounds plaus-
ibie until we remember that a
mans liberty to fling his arms in
any direction ends where the nose
of another man begins. A very
cursory study of social conditions, In
our W land or any other, in our
own age or any other, shows unmis-
takably how harmful to society Is
this giant evil. hardly less SO than
murder and adultery The two lat
ter atm at the very existence OF any
human society worthy the name: the
liquor traffic at its continuance In
any form worth while. All the long
list Of social wrongs have so direct
a connection with the liquor traffic
as Il maize its absolute prohibition
not only desirable but almost neces-
sary. 1t must be prescribed no less
than murder and adultery, personal
liberty or no personal liberty. Its
continuance IA that liberty IS de-
throned. that license Is sea-ed in
power.
A word further. 1t has been ac-
knowledged that when prohibit Is
defined to mean to cause to stop.
then prohibition may or may not
prohibit. lis success at this point
has always been found to be In d.
rect proportion to the public senti-
ment supporting the law. IT only
a bare majority enact the prohibit
ton, then It may be expected that
prohibition will seem to be a fall
ure. But where the sentiment has
been very much in Its favor. there
1t has always proved a great sue
cess. There is, therefore. everything
to be said IN favor of ~ensetlng such
a law even by a small majority,
since 1t places the traffic under the
ban, since IN so far 1t gives express
sion to public opinion. and since 1t
is one battle fought and won toward
the time when prohibition will fully
prohibit.
A point never to be forgotten in
war tactics is to discover Ii possible
what your enemy does not want you
10 10, and tbsn 90 II. The liquor
trafic very much fears prohibitory
laws. witness the agitation against
the same which is TO be noticed In
all It's journals. witness also every
means IN its power pat forth to de-
feat such legislation. Therefore,
granting all that may be said against
prohibition may be true, until there
may be greater light upon the ques-
ton, It viii be wise TO support that
fegfslatfon which the lovers of The
liquor GgaHlc Eaar 20 have enacted.