El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-13

Editors Note-The antI-Statewide
prohibition organization recently pub
Ifshed and widely circulated pam
phIet containing I29 Questions and
answers" constituting the principal
campaign document of the antis; J
L. Campbell, of FL Paso. an ardent
prohibitiOnist. has undertaken to an
svyer the antis' statements and Rrgu-
me3ts. and as ne quotes in his articles
the anti-statewide pamphlet practically
entire. 1t is felt that in printing this
series, to run daily until July % (elec-
tfon day.. The Herald is fairly pre-
seBtiRg TO voters both sides of the
great question at issue. IN no event
are the opinions here expressed or
quoted to be taken as an expression
of this neyyspaDer.I
THE LIQUOR CATECHIsM-VH.
Editor FL Paso Herald:
Question and answer 81 Of the liquor
catechism read:
81 VIII crime cease if state
wide prohibition is adopted? In
1850 before Main adopted state
wide prohibition, its penitentiaries
contained III convicts to every
1000 600 population. In 1860, at
which time the state was under
statewide prohibition, the number
had increased to 353 for every
10000 600 Of population and by
1904 this number had increased to
700 convicts for every 1000, 900 of
population. In "a years of prohibi-
ton in Kansas, the number Of con-
victs in the penitentiaries increased
As percent.
Such figures must be compared with
others to reveal their true import. Even
as stated, they are favorable to prohi-
bition The ratio of convicts was dou-
bled in 10 years under the saloon re-
gime Under prohibition, it required
fl years for a like result.
In Massachusetts in 1908, one per-
son in each SO of the population was
committed to Jail In Maine, the ratio
was one in 100. In 1907, the Jail com
mitments for the United States aver
aged $50 for each 10000 of population.
In Maine the ratio was so in 10000.
If the ratio for the nation has held
for Maine. 42.195 instead of 1853 per-
sons would have been put into the
Maine jails in 1907.
Question 80 and answer read:
"S2. Is drinking the chief cause
Of crime? In an examination of
scientific researchers have found
that drunkenness, as IS poverty, is
more often caused by crime than
crime by drunkenness. They also
find that among the highest grade
Of criminals. professional thieves,
burglars, etc. there is very little
personal intemperance. Everyone
knows that the confidence man is
not a drunkerd; and the skilful
manipulation of cards the profess
sional gambler could not ply his
nefarious vocation if he were a
drunkard Heredity, poverty. en-
vironment, lack Of training and in
dustrial conditions each in its way
contributes as much to the cause
of crime as intemperance. Sta
tistics from prohibition states prove
conS1usively that there is just as
much crime committed as in IL
censed states In fact. the per-
centage of crime committed in the
prohibition states Of both Maine
and Kansas exceeds the percent
age to the population Of Texas"
This answer is unsupported by any
sta tistics. Much of it is al variance
from common observation and expert
ence. It is interesting to note that it
admits that intemperance is fatal to
certain lines of activity requiring
high order Of intelligence. quick wits
and steady nerves. It admits that
intemperance contributes as much TO
crime as does any other thing-a mod
est admission considering the record