Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-02-23
Economics in Prohibition

The subject to which l have been
assigned, says Congressman ID. B. An
thony of Kansas, in Congress last
week, "The economic value of prohi-
bition," reduced to common everyday
English-the language Kansans de-
light to speak-presents the simple
question, Does prohibition in Kansas
pay? Unfortunately, the value of
most everything nowadays is measur-
ed by dollars and cents. If it pays,
it is usually pronounced good thing.
If is is a money loser, it is usually
pronounced bad thing. Measured by
this standard prohibition is the best
thing we have in Kansas. If / were
asked what one law results in greatest
financial returns and benefits to the
people of Kansas, / would answer
"the prohibitory liquor law"
The prohibitory amendment was
adopted by the people in the general
had over 35 years of prohibition in
Kansas. 1t is true we have not had
complete prohibition in actual prac-
tice during all that time, for, much to
our shame and chagrin, there were
many years in which the law was not
strenuously enforced. The saloons
were closed, but there was no deter
mined effort to do away with "blind
tigers" and other liquor joints, par
ticularly in the larger cities, until the
crusade of Carrie Nation along about
the year 1900. With the forcible use
of her little Ratchet upon bottles, mir
rors, and bars, and frequently upon
the head of a joint keeper, she soon
made the life of the "jointistp miser-
able. She proclaimed the doctrine
that it was not unlawful TO strike
down an unlawful business, even il
you had to resort to unlawful means.
Whatever criticism may be made Of
her unlawful method Of destroying an
unlawful business, yet her strenuous
work resulted in great good by call
ing direct attention of the people TO
the open and defiant violation of the
law, which they had heretofore
thought impossible to remedy. The
issue was at once raised as to wheth-
er these violators Of the constitution
and the laws of the State were great
er than the state itself. This so en-
ragged the people that they demanded
action on the part of public officials
who had been in the habit, more or
less, of winking at the unlawful bust
ness, and soon thereafter the liquor
laws were enforced everywhere. For
the last 10 or IL years, even in the
larger cities, there has not been a sa-
loon, joint, blind tiger, speak-easy,
drug store, or any other place gener-
ally known to the public where intox
icating liquors have been sold. We
have, therefore, for the last decade
had complete prohibition everywhere
in the State. As we review the past
it will be observed that the more
strenuously we enforced the law the
greater has been our prosperity.
There are no idle men in Kansas.
Anybody who really wants work can
always find il. There are very few
farmers or merchants who really
have enough help, and they are un-
able to get it. There is only one pau
per to every 5000 population, and
there are 38 county poor farms which
have no inmates, and many counties
have no poor farms at all and have no
need for them. We have a half mill
lion boys and girls in the State who
had never seen a saloon. | have a
boy 10 and a girl Is who had never
seen a saloon until we went to Wash
ington. What a sad commentary up
on the Capital Of our Nation. But
this will not exist for long. The
Capital Of the Nation is soon TO be
dry, and decisive steps in that direc-
ton will be taken by the present
Congress.