The sun., 1916-12-24
1t. old man! Whoop 1t upl
We're not with you. but We
like your nerve!"

AZ th'S Adshiou u nOOnuay oTOAO
street crowd greeted an elderly man
who pushed his way into . gathering
attracted by a tailboard ~spellbinder
speaking in behalf Of one Of tho two
great political parties.
All was going fairly we'll. 10 far as
attention was concerned, with the
cause Of the political orator. He was
jocose and thunderous by turns, and
II his arguments were not always well
founded his feet. at least, we're firmly
planted upon the floor Of a sturdy
motor truck. His backing was ma
terial and substantial.
His t~respassing rival had only q
rSckety campstool to mount upon; his
garb was black and his gaunt body
~ quavering voice evidenced physi.
ol decay. But his gestures and his
flashing eye marked the xealot. I'm
dismayed. he showed his way squarely
into the middle Of the crowd. climbed
upon his uncertain platform and held
aloft a cardboard placard bearing the
single word Prohibition"
The gathering laughed, for the
monday stroller down town is easily
amused and as easily interested. Polit-
ical issues he follows more or less In
diligently. but prohibition to him Is
akin to a religious cult. He may
listen tolerantly II nothing else at
tracts, and. like most OF his fellows, he
thinks he subject does not concern
him.
Just the same. when the smoke Of
battle cleared away after the recent
election the figures disclosed that four
more States had voted to 20 "dry."
And those four brought up the total of
prohibition States. actual and poten-
tial. to twenty-three. just one short
OF half the strength Of the Union. This
surely is evidence Of the strength Of
a movement apparently apart from
political questions that is gradually
gripping the entire nation.
Not only Is prohibition widening its
hold upon this country but since the
war in Europe began other nations
have been giving the matter the most
serious attention. Russia has set an
amazing example in this particular,
and England and France have more
or less patterned their administrative
conduct along similar lines.
Alcoholism on the other side OF the
Atlantic Is a grim problem which has
become aggravated in the last two
years because of the relentless de-
mands of modern warfare. On the face
OF II II looks like the advent of world
wide prohibition. and the partisans OF
the cause do not hesitate to proclaim
1t so. OF course the provoking causes
OF prohibition here and in Europe are
different. Here the people have
spoken; there Governments have
called the halt. Yet undoubtedly the
same haven for social betterment has
been working OH the two continents.
The average citizen probably i'm.
AGNES that he Is hearing more about
total abstinence and the evils Of alco.
hol than those that have gone before
him here. but the records disclose that
the subject Is anything but new an q
topic of public discussion and an effort
toward social reform. From 1886 to
1855 a prohibition wave well nigh In.
undated this country. So strong was
that surge for reform that It won to
the fourteen out OF the thirty.
one States that then comprised the
Union-just a little short OF half Of
them.
What will probably astonish most
citizens Of the Empire State. New
York was one OF the fourteen States,
and for something like two years stood
for prohibition. But the wave broke,
receded. and all that remained to tell
the tale OF that reform movement was
the persistent ~teetotalism OF Maine.
In the past prohibition was initially
religious movement which was mainly
inspired by Methodist and Baptist
organizations. But now the manne
Of waging warfare against drink Is
quite different and the Anti-Saloon
League Is battling for it's cause with
consummate political cunning.
The organization has been described
as "om0ipartisan." To Its members
any political party Is useful provided
its followers can be induced to vote
for prohibition. In this method OF
doing battle with the liquor interests
they are but following in the footsteps
OF their foes. In short, their Tight.
though non-partisan in a political
sense. Is waged with the keenest
kind Of practical politics for weapons.
The organization a mustered Into
its services men of alert minds and
capable administrators, and these
guiding officials are supplemented by
college and university graduates who
have shown organizing talent. These
clean living youngsters are trained for
their special service just like any other
professional men and become the
scholarly opponents Of the cause OF
prohibition.
Fighting saloons u not now a reform
movement In the strictly emotional
sense Of a half century n more ago;
II is a business. The liquor interests
may therefore have good reason for
their agitation. not to say anxiety. for
the Anti-Saloon League Is determined
? to win its battle II the fight takes
a hundred years. That the organiza-
tion Is making steady Roadway IL
easily demonstrated.
II IL a matter OF record that the
anti-liquor forces worked for some
thing like sixty odd years In order to
bring into the fold q total Of nine
States. That was encouragement
enough for them to battle on. And
h tho seemingly u~nsxpected hap