The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-05-03
THE WEBB LAW.

The far-reaching effects of the Webb
bill, prohibiting the shipping of liquor
into "dry" territory, may be realized
when it is taken into consideration
that there are about $4,000, 900 persons
in the United States today living I'M
der some form of prohibition and that
seventy-one per cent of the nations
territory is 'dry" There is total pro-
hibition in seven states, viz: Maine,
Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, North
Carolina, North Dakota and Tonnes
see.
Not even original packages sent by
express will be allowed. Such come
under the prohibitions of the bill The
principal provisions of the measure
are that ''the shipment or transpor-
tation, in any manner or by any means
whatsoever, of any spirituous, vinous,
matted, fermented or other intoxicat-
ing liquor Of any kind, from one State,
Territory, or District of the United
States, or place non-contiguous to but
subject to the jurisdiction thereof, into
any other State, Territory, or District
of the United States, or place non-con-
tiguous to but subject to the jurisdic-
ton thereof, or from any foreign
country into any State, Territory, or
District of the United States, or place
non-contiguous to but subject to the
jurisdiction thereof, which said spirit
uous, vinous, matted, fermented, or
other intoxicating liquor is intended,
by any person interested therein, to
be received, possessed, sold, or in any
manner used, either in the original
package or otherwise, in violation of
any law of such State, Territory, or
District of the United States or place
non-contiguous to but subject to the
jurisdiction thereof, is hereby pro-
hibited"
The Christian Advocate of Nashville
Tenn, in commenting on the Webb
law says:
1--WE welcome the enactment of this
law as another token Of growing
determination among the people Of
the United States to destroy one OF
the most sinister forces in our ma
tional life For that this is a just
Characterization of the liquor traffic
there is not the least ground for ques-
ton. 1t has always been an evil,
without single redeeming feature;
but during recent years it has as
sumed such proportions as our fathers
could never have imagined. Formerly
its work was mostly confined to the
making Of drunkards, the destroying
of homes, the breaking Of the hearts
of wives and mothers, and the blight
ing Of the lives Of little children. That
surely was bad enough; but it was but
a small matter in comparison with
the widespread devastation it is work
ing in our midst today. For the liquor
dealers now are united in vast al
lance backed up by unlimited financial
resources, which is doing everything
that intimidation and bribery can do
to debauch our entire civil and po-
liticaI life. It lays its bIighting hand
upon our city governments and state
legislatures, and intrudes itself even
into our national elections. 1t is abb
solutely heartless and selfish. II has
no regard for party, or for the public
veal, or for the most rudimentary
sanctions of morality. 1t is thoroughly
anarchistic. It allies itself with the
worst elements of society, and uses
them as its plant tools. It fosters
gambling and prostitution, and uses
gamblers and prostitutes as agents in
the accomplishment of it's nefarious
purposes. It fills its Golfers with ILL
gotten gain, which 1t then proceeds to
turn to account in all sorts Of ways
by intimidation, by bribery, and by a
specious show of charity-for the con-
troll of the ballot 1t is by all odds the
most immoral, inhuman and dangerous
money power on earth. There is
hardly a part of the complex machin-
cry of our Christian civilization which
1t does not mar. There 10 not an
authoritative voice speaking for hui
mainly which it does not defy"