The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-07-10
The HYPOCRISY
OF PROHIBITION
OPEN AND CONFESSED HYPocRl-
SY is SUBJECT OF INTERESTING
COMMENT IN LITERATURE IS-
SUED BY ANTl,-sALooN LEAGUE
OF AMERICA.

Open and confessed hypocrisy is the
dominant note of a recent document
issued by the Anti-Saloon league Of
America. 1t sets forth The Next Fin
al Step in graduating the liquor traf-
fc from the United States.
In discussing this, question, The
Times reiterates it's stand, that If there
Is to be prohibition at all the policy
not statewide.
The edict has gone forth that The
state of Washington is to be made the
scene of another battle for prohibition;
! that a statewide law is to be passed
and enforced, if possible, in 1914.
This revolutionary step is proposed
without regard for like legislation ir
n~eighboring states. Oregon could re
main wet" Idaho "wet," British Col
umbia wet" and reformers would
have Washington dry"
While the reformers would wink al
the .legalizing Of the traffic elsewhere
| they would enact and enforce a most
drastic statute in this state.
Admittedly. from their standpoint
the business cannot be legalized with
out sim" yet they would "compromise
with sin" ,
One has only to turn to the latest
6ApE6SSlOn VI t1iS Al SotSoL4 "S -
to verify the statement just made
Gen. Supt. P. A. Baker says:
"The policy Of the Anti Saloon
league, ever since its inception, has
been to go just as fast and just as far
as public sentiment would admit:
ut confines it's effort to law enforce
ment and sentiment building where
that is the only policy local public
sentiment will sustain:
.r - 1~1nI ortinr Thnrn fhat
policy meets the requirements Of the
most advance public demand:
ut does now, and always has, fav-
ored state and national prohibition
lust as quickly as enlightened public
conscience would warrant:
1--WE believe the time is fully ripe
for the launching of a campaign for
national prohibition:
This does not mean that we are to
relax our efforts n iota for law en-
forcement, local option and prohibition
by states-but is a recognition of the
fact that the job begun more than 100
years ago should now be speedily com
pleted." a..
Local option, therefore, is the pres
ent vehicle, prohibition the ultimate
destination, of the agitators. It. makes
no difference what may be done by
the neighbor states-they may be
wide open"-but this state is to be
closed up tight. Local option now;
prohibition tomorrow.
IF the advocates of this school of
reform would be sincere enough to put
this entire question on a basis broadly
national, they would not be open to the
charge of insincerity and hypocrisy.
But now they compromise with sim,
and they freely acknowledge their pol
icy of double-dealntg. In n place
they are for local option in its vari-
GUS phases. sometimes trying to close
a seaport like Seattle by giving the
back-country a voice in its affairs.
How much better for the cause If
they were to come into the o%pen-to
place their propaganda "on he level.
The people like a fair and square
fighter; but they abominate h dou-
ble-dealer and the sneak.
1t is admitted. too, that several mil
lions of Americans would back the
stand taken by The Times-if the
question were put up to them proper
ly. They would be perfectly willing to
consent to nation wide prohibition.
Give us nationwide prohibition-if
any-but don't make the state Of
Washington "dry' rs Sahara, with the
Pacific in front and ceans of booze on
the other three sidesi