The Washington herald., 1914-08-10

ticuiariy conspicuous IN the South An
Il seems pretty clearly proven that tn
number Of drug fiends in the southeri
q cities is directly proportionate TO tn
strictness with which the prohibitiv
statute Is enforced.
Physicians and officers in position q
know, assert that the negroes and poo
whites take cocaine as substitute To-
\ liquor; and the "dope-takers" themselves
freely admit II. But actual records of
fer even more convincing proof. Thus
N such cities as Raleigh and Asheville
IN North Carolina. and In Knoxvtiie
Tenn. where the lower classes find u
almost impossible to obtain LIQUOR except
IN deadly ''moonshine'' concoctions. tnt
officers report that drug-taking Is m
creasing with appalling rapidity. Com
missioner Hensley, Of Knoxville. FOR ex-
ample, reported recently that sever
cocaine-tal1ing women were orousnt 70
police headquarters In one day. Knox
Vile has something less tnan te,"V- m
habitants. So that II this rate were
naJntained throughout the year there
would be one arrest for every three fam
ilies IN the community:
OF course, this rate II not maintained,
but Il "a high enough, in all conscience
higher. even. than Is indicated by the
insane bospItaI records. For very few
N the lower class drug-takers figure in
asylum reports. Their shortcomings are
recorded mostly in the tails, prisons and
cemeteries.
In contrast to the records OF Ashe-
Vile. Raleigh, and Knoxville, where
drug-taking Is increasing. and where
prohibition is strictly enforced, are those
Of such cities as Memphis and Atlanta,
where little attempt Is made to enforce
the prohibitory law. Memphis and At
lAnta each has q higher percentage OF
negroes and poor whites than the more
northern cities, but they have a far
lower percentage of drug-takers, and the
number Of these is not increasing.
OF course, the traffic in cocaine Is
strictly forbidden in the South, as every
where. But this does not prevent the
drug-takers from getting as much dope"
as they wish through q regularly estab-
lished underground trafic. Wholesale
smugglers bring It in from nobody knows
where, hidden In pockets. garment lin
ings. hollow crutches and canes, or any
thing that will conceal q small parcel
Each ounce Of the white powder rep
resents about 1000 doses. 80 that II is
not only more concentrated than any
liquid narcotic, but. being a dry sub
stance. is more easily concealed and
smuggied. Indeed, practical experience
proves that Il Is absolutely impossible to
detect. or check, this clandestine traf1c. |
In spite Of the combined efforts OF Fed |
eral and local officials, smuggling seems |
to be steadily increasing in every region |
which has caught the drug infection.
The wholesale snugglers supply the |
retail dealers. and these peddle the drug
In the form of q white powder diluted |
with some inert substance TO give IL |
bulk. The established retail price Is 10 |
cents sniff," but the more opulent Gus
toners can get full days supply for
4 quarters dirty gray snuff dispensed
IN small pill boxes Some OF the fiends
mix the drug with tobacco snuff. ana
sniff the mixture without any attempt
II concealment
II any person questions that the effect
II this dope" is s-not worse than thar
II liquor. let him consider what cocaine
ioes to the habitue. It's first effect is
o produce feeling Of mild exhilaration.
Ike a pleasant intoxication, but this IL
Ollowed in a few hours by q most dis
ressing depression, which is readily re-
ieved by a snuff Of the drug. Yet this
condition is only the initial phase. A
title later the victim develops peculiar
illusions. and hallucinations, is com
letely wrecked physically, and degraded
morally. He hears persons taunting or
busing him, or fancies that they are
rying to kill him, and this often results
4 frenzied homicidal attacks upon any
ody within reach.
Moreover. the drug makes the fend
peculiarly dangerous mailman be- !
ause II gives him unnatural courage,
nd produces a peculiar resistance to {
INJURIES. so that ordinary shootin'
ont kill him." as the police oficers 4
ut It. Indeed. this fact is 50 well
nown in the South where drug taking :
J rampant, that the ofdcers have ex- I
hanged their pocket revolvers for
uge weapons with great stopping
over. for the express purpose OF kill
ng these dope hends when they run {
muck.
Since the oficers are the ones who q
lust deal with these hends, and as
he fiends are treacherous. crafty, fear
.ss, and hard TO kill, II is easy to un-
erstand that the police make strenuous
fforts TO suppress the clandestine traf-
c. It IL really q matter OF life and
cath with them. And yet they admit. ,
} a man, that they are not even holding I
heir own against the "sniffers." vendors,
nd smugglers.
The situation is made more deplora-
le by the fact that once the victim
egins taking tentative shifts OF the
rug he is virtually q doomed man. For
iere is no such thing as q moderate" '
, occasional drug taker: a person Is +
ther q total abstainer or q "fiend."
nd the rule. "once a fiend, always q Q
end" has few exceptions. Imprison- c
ent for a term Of months cures" the a
ctim-while he is under lock and key. c
ut he returns to his bad habit as soon
liberated. Thus thousands Of men s
ID women, who in the ordinary course a
events would remain useful citizens, l
I'VE recently become useless burdens,
ID a constant menace to their COM p
unities.
1t Is possible. of course, to conceive g
at this sacrifice of the lower classes I
light be compensated by the gain in L
importance among the upper classes.
ut in point Of fact there is no such T
lin; and the white voters never in J
nded that there should be. For they '
refully arranged the prohibitory laws Q