The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-05-01
DOMAIN OF TEMPERANCE.
RUSSIA rswEARs orr"

A miracle has happened in Russia
a miracle that has put bread in the
cupboard of the poor, fire on the
hearthss reformed the wife-beater, lift
ed people from sullenness and de-
spair to happiness and self-respect.
And the miracle, strangely enough,
was made possible by Russia,s auto
cratic form of government, under
which the little father, by one stroke
of the pen, put vodka and it's tempta-
tons beyond the reach of the people
by prohibiting the sale Of strong
drink in any part of the empire.
Henry w. Hitler, who for the last
thirty-one years has spent half of each
year in Russia, managing silver shops
for Tiffany & Co., described the won
derful change that had taken place
there, and explained that there was
nothing halfway about this prohibit
ton. Il had just landed in Moscow
he said. 81 felt little chilly and sent
out for some rum to put in my tea.
Not drop was to be had hadn't
heard till then of the Cars ukase, but
[ soon saw the effects of it upon the
men when / went to the shops. I
want to say that | never lived through
a miracle before, but the regeneration
that | saw there was nothing short of
miraculous. The Russian peasants
speak always of Black Monday in
Russia, for they usually come to work
sodden, stupid and depressed after a
day spent in the wine shops. And
they're lucky, too, if they don't miss
at least one day through the working
week for the same reason-drink. On
payday the wives who came-so I'M
from them part of their earnings to
buy food for the children, usually came
too late-all gone. *'s
Now" continued Mr. Hitler, "this
marvellous change has swept over Rus
STA like cyclone-with the noise left
out. 1t is wonderful. The men come
to work cheerful, sober; their work
has improved incredibly. And the
women-as | met them on the streets,
great burden was gradually lifted
from me. They ceased coming after
their husbands pay, and as the weeks
wore on they and their children be-
gan to look-well as if they had had
meal-two meals-fnally three
meals a day.
This is the outward and visible
sign of the change-a change from a
people starving, hopeless, inefficient,
slaves to drink, to a people we'll nour-
ished, industrious, regenerated. And,
mind you'll left Moscow the last of
October-this was the result of less
than three months under this regime.
The chief of police of Moscow was
jubilant over the almost incredible
decrease in crime. My job is fine,' he
said genially There's comparatively
no crime. 1t used to be a common
thing to see men and women, too, I
am sorry to say, lying dead drunk in
the side streets. You don't see q
drunken man. now, and women can
walk about without being insulted'
"The Russian peasant, you know, is
the kindliest fellow in the world, but
let him get two or three drinks OF
vodka G (wodky Mr.. Hitler prbnounces
it, and he's the devil incaFnateg When
/ lived in Siberia i had cook who
was the gentlest sort Of fellow, ordi-
narily, but who had been punished
five times for murder after drinking
and he'd have committed another if I
hadn't knocked him senseless with q
log one day Don't think" said Mr..
Hitler, that this regeneration came in
a moment from the Gar or his de-
spots. The Russian government gives
only where it has to. 1t owns the
liquor trade and gets from it yearly
revenue of a billion dollars. Now the
peasant knows that his glass of vodka
is not good for him, and eats up his
money and his ambition, but it has o
terrible hold on him.
Years ago great movement
against liquor started, an expression
of resentment against a government,
that traded upon the curse of it's peo-
pie. Then came the war. The anti
alcohol people said: Now is the time
to strike; it will help mobilization, and
moreover, the Gar will be afraid now
to refuse u.s. And the Car had the
power to accomplish at one stroke
what some have been working for for
years. Do you hear grumbling? Not
very much. OF course, there are al
ways those who think they must drink
or die, and they did die-some Of
them, for they even took to wood al
cohol, poor fellows, in place of vodka.
These cases, however, were few in
number. AS a class the peasants were
jubilant over the results of having
been put beyond the reach of tempta-
ton. They could not but acknowledge
that it was a most beneficial thing"