The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-05-09

need not long detain us. In depriv.
ing America of intoxicating liquors
he says. we would be taking away
her chief means of recreation" an
artificial inhibitory agent very useful
in lifting the average man out of his
| life of practical calculation" and
/ prosaic dullness, an lnhlbitOTy
agent, desirable, he says, just as hope
and belief and enjoyment are desir-
able, bringing reinforcement of GER
tain mental states with correspond
ing paralysis of others.
This, is the light of present day
medical and psychological insight, is
naive indeed; but we will be gener-
Gus, remembering the Homeric tend
ency to nod, and conclude that our
illustrious Munsterberg allows his
German proclivities to overcome his
American common sense. And we
may allow his maxim, better America
inspired than America sober, if sober
means absolute abstinence" to go the
way Of its English companion, better
England free than England sober"
Personal Liberty
| The argument for personal liberty
is not an argument against prohibi-
ton. Liberty is social product, and
can exist only in so far and so long
as its possessors use sane methods Of
insuring it. 1t was A1ontesquieu, in
his Spirit of Laws who said, liberty
is freedom to do what the law per-
mits." And Sheldon Amos has en-
pressed the same thought more fully
when he says, liberty on it's posi-
tive side denotes the fulness of indi-
vidual existence. On it's negative
side it denotes the necessary re-
straint on all which is needed to pro-
mote the greatest possible amount of
liberty for each"
Those most clamorous in the de-
mand for personal liberty will insist
that the use of liquor is as much a
personal matter as the use Of coffee
or meat; that we should no more
legislate as to what man drinks
than as to what he eats All will adj
NIT that Incorporate eating is bad
thing; the fact is, however, hardly
an argument against prohibition. The
real question is, when does eating or
drinking. or any other matter of per
sonal matter. and become a social
problem?
The reply is obvious. When the
conduct of an individual becomes a
menace to the social good. then clear
~ society must step in. And socie-
tvs organ is the law. The law has a
right for the sake of the many, to
protect the drinker himself, his fam
lily and the community from the con-
sequences of his own pitiable weak
ness.
The recognition Of interdependence
is necessity more vital in this con-
hectlon. than of independence. A
man might declare that to prohibit
MN from burning soft coal in his
factories is an infringement of liber-
ty-no one would be troubled; he
'might argue that to prohibit him
| from keeping his own children cut of
school to Work in those factories
would encroach on his personal lib
ertE; we would not be at all con-
| cerned; ne might contend that in
herltance laws have no right to pro-
mint him from disinheriting those
children; we would yet see the Justice
OF the law. But let that man protest
mat to prohibit the saloon from SELL
ing MN lntoxicant which degrades
MN, falnts his community and per
maps rauperizes those children, and
| unfortunately large numbers of our
cluzens join him in the protest. Yet
Just as clearly here. the prohibition
law is for the best interests of the
best Kind of personal liberty. being
the most practicable, expedient and
most Immediate means of protecting
ohe man. his children. and the COM
iiluhlty from the consequences of the
use OF lntoXicants. 1t is no more an
infringement on liberty than is the
law providing for guarantee or fire
escape
Prohibition does not prohibit" is
the cry Of others. Prohibition does
what it aims to dot does prohihit
though it does not annihilate like
an! other law it can only define the
atttude OF the government. All law
is educative and is the product of the
pest public conscience. not merely of
the most noisy public sentiment. Law
being enacted by representatives who
are safely presumed to be slightly
more advanced in sociological in
sight than the masses, is usually a
ii'tle IN advance of public sentiment
thus serving as an uplifting influence
Legislated Morality
Just here we encounter that other
speclous argument The prohibition
law is fagrantly violated, and will
always be violated, hence will arise
widespread disrespect and contemnt
Tor all law, a most dangerous psvch-
illogical factor. If violations of law
were no longer to exist, the law
would never have come into being
law always has to deal with an ex-
ceedingly complex graduation of citi-
zens. AS has just been shown, it is
bound to be above the standards of a
large number; hence violations are
hound to occur and do constantly &C.
cur When they can be detected thew
are exposed to penalty-penalty is an