Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-01-22

Of mankind has the prohibition OF IN
to,,icating liquor been so complete anc
effective as 1t has been in Russia since
the outbreak Of war, and never before
certainly has the world had such ar
opportunity to see what total abstl-
nence may bring about. Now in Rus
sia for the first time we have an op-
portunity to see what nationwide pro-
hibition may accomplish, and what the
sociological results Of total abstinence
may be.
The second reason for the demoral-
izing effect Of vodka drinking In Rus
sia is related to the place OF consump-
ton. Since the government estab-
lished the vodka monopoly it has sold
liauor on the dispensary plan only. The
purchaser may not buy less than
bottle, and he is forbidden to drink II
on the premises He therefore consumes
1t on the street: or, more commonly
takes II home and drinks 1t there.
Russian society was fully conscious
of these evils, and made every possible
effort to limit them; but so long as the
government derived nearly third OF
its revenue from the sale OF intoxi-
cants II gave no encouragement to
temperance movements or temperance
n,,f no
a disposition to regard every attempt
to restrict the sale Of vodka as a crime
against the state.
When the war broke cat, the gov
ernment, in order to guard against the
possibility Of popular disorder during
the period Of mobilization, decided to
suspend temporarily the sale Of vodka.
At it controlled absolutely the sources
of supply and the means Of distribu-
ton, 1t was able to do this with un-
precedented effectiveness, and in less
than forty-eight hours the drinking OF
intoxicants ceased. Scores Of peasants
in the towns poisoned themselves to
death with wood alcohol, denatured al
cohol or cologne; but vodka could not
be had, because the government con-
trolled the whole supply. and there
had been no time to organize Illicit
manufacture and sale. The closing Of
the government dispensaries and the
extraordinary results that followed
gave not only the temperance workers
but an overwhelming majority Of the
peasants an opportunity to show what
they thought Of the vodka traffic. APP
peals and petitions begging the gov
ernment not to reopen the dispensaries
at the end Of mobilization poured into
the ministry of finance from zemstvos,
town councils. communes, societies
and individuals in all parts of the en-
pire. Even habitual drinkers, who
knew that vodka was running them,
but who had not will power enough to
let it alone If they could get it, Joined
in the almost universal cry, Don't
reopen the shops!"
The car and his ministers listened
to the voice of the nation. They had
suspended the sale Of vodka only until
the 25th Of August 90 s., but when
that day came they continued the sus-
pension until the 1st Of october. Then,
as the beneficent result Of total absti-
nence became increasingly apparent,
and the appeals Of the people grew
more and more insistent, the cZar and
the commander chief Of the armies
extended the prohibition to the end OF
the war, and finally made 1t include
not only vodka, but strong wines, light
wines, beer-everything At the same
time the car himself made public the
announcement that the sale Of vodka
by the government would never be re-
sumed. Then millions Of muzhiks and
tens Of millions of peasant women
crossed themselves devoutly and cried,
"Slava Bokhoo!" (Thank GodD
Nearly four months have now passed
since the drinking Of intoXicants in
Russia ceased, and the results Of the
reform are so extraordinary as to sur.
pass the expectation: even Of the most
sanguine prohibitionists and temper
ance workers. Mr.. Ivan Zhilkin, writ
ing in the leading Russian review,
"Vestnik Evropa," of Petrograd, says
"All Europe Is filled with enthusiasm
and gratitude. AS If by the waving Of
a magic wand, drunkenness, debauch-
cry. wild crime. disputing and fighting
have ceased in the streets Of both viii
lagos and towns. Factories and work.
shops are filling their orders with
promptness and accuracy. In house.
holds long accustomed to poverty,
strife, drunken qurrels, and blows
there are now peace and quiet. The
peasant families are even making pc
cuniary savings, which although small,
are as welcome as they are uneXpect-
ed The very face Of Russia, long dis
figured by alcoholic excess seems to
have been transformed and ennobled."
("Vestnik Evropa," Peirograd, Sep
tember. 1914. Page 339).
A correspondent Of the "Russkoe
Slovo.' telegraphing from Viatka,
says: The closing of the government
dispensaries in this city has been fol-
lowed by a marked decrease in the
number of robberies. Hooliganism has
almost disappeared, and the police
lockups. always filled on bazaar days
with drunken men, are now empty.
According to a member of the provin-
cial zemstvo, the peasant villages are
completely transformed. Drunkenness,
fighting and disorder, so noticeable on
holidays. and fair days, have ceased"
A correspondent of the same review
in Simbirsk says: THE suspension os
the vodka traffic has diminished crime
in this city by fifty per cent. and hooli-
ganism by ninety per cent. The same
results are reported from whole Sc
ries Of peasant villages in this pro-
vince"
From Orel the report is: 'Prohibi-
ton has reduced crime here. as COM
pared with previous months. by eighty
per cent. The court rooms and police
stations are empty"