McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1917-07-06
Letter From New York

Editor Independent: Many people
see in the war only evil; but it is al
ready clear that this war is doing
great things for our country. 1t is
bringing US in closer touch with En-
gland, France, Russia, Italy, Belgium.
Canada, and other countries than one
hundred years of ordinary intercourse
would have done, and will probably
wind up with a greater solidarity Of
all the Americas than has heretofore
existed. 1t will teach US economy.
self-defense, and self-preparation, and
open our minds and our markets to a
vastly larger range of human action.
1t will also stimulate our shipping
industry, which had fallen so low.
But perhaps the biggest gain of all
to US is in the line of the prohibition
Of the liquor traffic. Fervent orations
on the evils of this traffic might have
gone on for many years without half
the effect of face-to-face presenta-
tion of the question, in the light of a
defensive program which shall cut off
inefficiency and waste and enable US
to meet our enemies and give them
blow for blow, or better. Here were
the brewers a few years ago claiming
consideration on account of the hum
dreds of millions of bushels of grain
they bought from the farmers, and
now these same brewers suddenly find
that is a bad argument in face of a
sSortage cf grain, but they are too
late. They have been taken at their
word, and Congress seems deter
mined TO cut out the use of grain
and all food for distilling or brewing
purposes.
Last night the House of Represen-
tatives at Washington voted, 365 to
Il S, to prohibit, during the war. the
use Of food stuffs for alcoholic bever-
ages. They went further than that,
and put in the hands of the President
the power to take over all existing
stocks Of whisky, etc, at fair price,
hayeit redistilled so as TO extract the
alcohol for government purposes, and
thus do away with the immense stocks
lof booze in bond, and kill the whisky
snake at one stroke. Of course the
Senate win not fail to do its duty,
and the end of the reign of whisky is
in sight. Beer and wines will go the
same way, for it takes food products,
barley and grapes, TO make them.
Both are bad drinks. Everybody can
get along better without them.
| Congress will have to raise the
revenue some other way. But one
thing should not be lost sight of:
there will be an actual saving by
shutting down the saloons, for the
damage done by these purveyors Of
poison is very great, in a pecuniary
sense. In Baltimore it was shown by
undisputed figures that for every dol
lar taken in through saloon licenses,
seven dollars were paid out for ex-
penses directly attributable to the
use of intoxicating liquors. So great
was the Improvement even in a fnan.
cial way in affairs in Russia after the
abolition Of intoxicants there that the
nation will for the sake Of its OWE
material interests never 60 back te
the old vodka system. The increase
in business arising from an increased
efficiency of worknen and others fol.
lowing the cutting off of sales of in.
toxicants will take care of the lost
revenue, and more than make up fol
it. The loss to this nation through
workers laid up or killed by drinl