The Washington herald., 1917-06-28
From New York Times.)
Let Prohibition Wait

1861 the Government had on its hands business more
vital and urgent than the abolition of slavery.
the Az erican people have entered upon work vastly
more important than the suppression of the liquor traffic.
Yet in 1861 the aboH6onsts insisted that it the
first duty of President Lincoln to free the slaves. Mr..
Lincoln believed that it was his first duty to preserve
the Union To have set the slaves free at would
have impeled the success of the greater the essential
endeavor The question of slavery awaited its due time
When the time came he solved it by the Emancipation
Proclamation But the aboitonss assailed him furiousy
for not making an end of slavery at once They would
not listen to reason.
So the prohibitionists now refuse to listen to rea
son. In mad exutaion their success in the House.
they resolve that the Food Administration bill shall
carry the prohibition amendment through the Senate
They are deaf every appeal to every remonstrance
yet their insistence delays and perhaps endanger the
enactment of that the Administration and the
people feel to be essential for the prosecution of the
war; They have embarked upon this adventure in the
spirit customany exhibited by radicals; their
aimportant; they put it above everything else; they
convict themselves of being Indifferent to what happens
to the nation in the if only they force prohbl-
ton upon the country. 1t time for the display
of the radical spirit; is amazing that loyal American
citizens should be so misguided The nation must bend
all its energies to the accomplishment of the purposes
for which to war, yet these obstructng
those purposes they confusing the issue of the
upon which the peop Die have declared their WILL with
another issue upon which Congress has received
mandate, an issue to which in many of the States
public opinion has yet to be declared
The evil the advocates of prohibition are doing is
not confined to the mere obstruction of legislation at
Washington. They are cutting off immense national
revenues easily collected at time when burdensome
taxes about to be imposed upon the people and
sums of money demanded from them for the execu-
ton of the and for purposes related to the
They propose to destroy at stroke industries in which
more than billion of dollars are invested in this country
industries with annual pay roll of nearly half billion
They would not only throw away $300OO0,0O0 of
Federal revenues they would disturb the fiscal system of
every State and city in the Union where the sale Of
liquor is not now prohibited. :,
The State of New York derives revenues to the
amount of nearly $I5.OOO.OO0 from excise taxes, of
which the City of New York receives some $5,0OOOOO
While this of revenue would not be Immediately
destroyed by the amendment in the form passed by the
House. its effect would be seriously felt and at time
when with Federal taxes and bond subscriptions pressing
upon the of the people, question of fresh State
mposts should be raised
The prohbitionsts are nconsderate and mrea-
sonable. The prompt passage of the Food Admnistra-
ton bill is imperative Nothing should stand in its way
Yet they have brought up highly controversial sub
ject disturb the deliberations and occupy the time of
the national legislators when every day and every mo-
remaining of the session should be devoted to the
consideration of measures demanded by the Admins
traon for the effective prosecution of the war Much
of this fanatical inssence upon aboshng the drink evil
may be sincere, but it affords an easy refuge and
conceament for those whose real motive is that of oppo
siton to the war altogether and who would be only
too glad to hamper the Administration by obstructns
the passage of war bills mperayely necessary Tf In