The Washington times., 1917-06-27
CORRECT THE MISTAK
(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 American people have entered upon work vastly
more important than the suppression of the liquor
traffic Yet in 1861 the abolitioniSts insisted that it
was the first duty of President Lincoln to free the slaves
Mr. Lincoln believed that his first duty preserve
the Union To haveSe theSlaveS free at would have
mperled the success of the greater the essential
deavor The question of slavery awaited its due time
When the time came he solved it by the Emancipation
Proclamation. But the aboitionsts assaied him furi
ousy for not making an end of slavery at once They
would not listen to reason.
So the prohibitionSts now refuse to listen to
son. In mad exutaton their success in the House.
they resolve that the Food Administration bill shall
carry the prohibition amendment through the Senate
They deaf to every appeal to every remonstrance
yet their nsistence delays and perhaps endangers the
actment of measure 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 customary exhibited by radicals their own cause
almportant they put it above everything else they
convict themselves of being Indifferent to what happens
to the nation in the if only they can force proh
bition upon the country 1t is time for the display
of the radical spirit it 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 went to war; yet these men are obstructing
those purposes they confusing the issue of the war;
upon which the people have declared their will with
another issue upon which Congress has received no
mandate, an issue as 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 obstruction of legislation at
Washington They are cutting off immense national
revenues easily collected at time when burdenSome
about to be imposed upon the people and vast
sums of money demanded from them for the
ton of the and for purposes related to the They
propose to destroy stroke industries in which
than billion of dollars invested in this country,
industries with annual payroll of nearly half billion.
They would not only throw away $500 100000 of Fed
eral 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
of nearly SIS OOO 900 from excseaxeS ofwhich
the City of New York receives some S. 100000 While
this source of revenue would not be Immediately de-
stroyed 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, no question of
fresh State mpostS should be raised
The prohibitionsts are inconsiderate and unrea-
sonabe The prompt passage of the Food Administra-
ton bill is imperative Nothing should stand in its way
Yet they have brought up highly controversial sub
ect disturb the deliberations and occupy the time of
the national legislators when every day and every
moment remaining of the session should be devoted to
the consideration of measures demanded by the Admin
iSaton for the effective prosecution of the war Much
of this fanatical nsstence upon aboshng the drink
evil may be sincere, but affords an easy refuge
and conceament for those whose real motive is that of
opposition the altogether and who would be only
too glad to hamper the Administration by obstructing
the passage of bills mperatively necessary. If in
their zeal for prohibition the champions of the amend
ment will not listen to reason at least they should not
be deaf to the promptings of loyalty.