The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-03-02
v .G.I.U. DEPARTMENT
Mrs. E. Van Hood, Editor
What Prohibition Did

ford to ignore the developments OF the
past year as regards the liquor traf-
fc. Irrespective of our personal views
on the subject, we must mark with in
terest the following facts:
The sale of vodka was abolished in
Russia by imperial decree at the out
set of the war, and within the last
few days beer also has come under
the ban at Petrograd.
France has forbidden the traffic in
absinthe.
The open hours of English public
houses have been curtailed.
On March / statewide prohibit
ton law went into effect in Tennessee.
On July l., West Virginia inaugu-
rated statewide prohibition.
On November constitutional
amendments forbidding the sale of liq-
our were adopted in Arizona, Colo
RADIO, Oregon and Washington.
A majority of the national house
sef representatives on December %
voted in favor of submitting pro,
hibition amendment to the states.
The opponents to prohibition can in
deed point to the rejection of prohi-
bition amendments in California and
Ohio and to the failure of the house
resolution at Washington to secure the
necessary two-thirds vote, but they
cannot point to the abandonment Tin
1910 of prohibition by any state
where it was already in force.
The prohibitory area in the United
Estates is steadily on the increase
through constitutional amendments,
statewide prohibition laws, or coun-
ty, municipal or township option
Considerably more than half the pop
ulation of the country now lives in
territory from which the saloon has
been legally banished. The facts are
impressive enough without explana-
ton or argument.
Passing of the Iowa Saloon
Temperance forces in the senate of
the Thirty-sixth general assembly
celebrated Lincoln's birthday by pass
ing the joint resolution for constitu-
tional prohibitory amendment today
80 to 10.
At 2:3O this afternoon the Senate
went into session again to consider
the Clarkson bill to repeal the mulct
law. The committee ON the suppress
sion of intemperance has recommend
ed the bill for indefinite postpone
ment. The Senate will vote to accept
or reject the report. If the report is
rejected the bin will be on its third
reading and ready for the final ac-
ton.
There can be no question but that
the action of the Iowa senate recent
Iy with reference to the abolishing of
the licensed saloon from within the
borders of this state reflects the maj
ority sentiment of the people. 1t was
the climax of long gathering storm
What the senate has done the house
will do by an equally emphatic vote.
The wise thing is for everybody to rec
ognize the fact that Iowa is headed
not only for statutory but for. consti-
tutional prohibition.
This does not mean that the cause
of temperance has won its last fight.
1t simply means that so far as law
regulation and control is concerned
every possible step has been taken. IN
dividual reformatory work will yet
have to be followed up, for unlawful
and insidious influences will be con
stantly endeavoring to do in the dark
that which they can no longer do in
the light of legal consent.
The victory of the prohibition for
ces recently was the result in part of
moral awakening, but there was an
other element which should be taken
into consideration. The theory that
the saloon is contributor to the pub
lie revenues and therefore a reducei
of taxation has been so completely
exploded that few men win attempt
to exploit that argument any longer
and retain straight face IN voicing
it.
So far as revenue is concerned, for
every dollar the saloon contributes to
the public treasury in the way of
licenses it costs the tax-paying public
a dozen more in the way of increas-
ed expenditures for maintaining the
criminal courts which are kept busy as
either the direct or indirect work OF
the saloon victims, IN supporting their
families and the alms-house paupers
who have absorbed their last dollar
in booze and have now become the
charity charge of the state.
It will be contended that bootleg
ging vii now increase and that bus.
mess will be carried on illegally which
hitherto had some sanction of law.
Of course there viii be bootlegging
In every community there is a. Iow-liv
ed, unprincipled. riff-raff elemen
3 which prefers to exist by outlaw meth