The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-21
BLAMES VODKA
FOR RUSS CHAOS
PEOPLE RUN RIOT UNDER
RULE OF THE INTOXI-
CANT.

London, Feb. 2l.-Ihe Russian
OF the London Ob-
server says:
When the Russian revolution
burst upon the unsuSpec!ing world
it evoked universal admiration by
its lofty spirit Of patriotism, hui
manity and tolerance. SO tenn
perate, so orderly and generous was
the conduct Of the Russian masses
in those radiant early days OF new
Russia that even the most halt
hearted believers in revolutions and
democracy cheerfully greeted 1t as
one Of the greatest and most hope
full events Of modern times. by
their temperate conduct and hu-
name treatment OF their fallen
rulers, by their generous attitude
toward other classes and subject
races OF Russia, the Russian masses
earned in the eyes of the world
ready recognition of their right to
fullest freedom.
The same world now stands
aghast at the change that has come
over the Russian masses. The
peasants and workmeu who had
made the most sober and orderly
revolution of modern times are now
engaged in an orgy Of l2wlessness'
murder and pillage. How could the
morale OF the Russian masses change
so radically in 50 short q space OF
time? One need not be seer to
find the main cause Of this meta
morphosis. and one need not be a
temperance fanatic to fix upon
drink as that cause.
The Cars Edict.
1t will be remembered that the
Russian revolution took place under
the aegis of compulsory temper
ance. 1t was the one salutary
LEGACY Of the old regime. But the
great fault of the czar's plan OF max
! ing his people sober by ukase was
that the compulsory sobriety wa:
imposed on a nation which had not
been emancipated from the drink
habit by education and enlightened
social interests. With the character
istic Slay resignation the Russian
people submitted to the imperla
ukase as a rcgrcttable but unaYoid
able evil. Millions of the Russian
peasants and workmen even dlscov
cred, for the first time in their lives
they could easily do without vodka
and settled to lie Of comfortable
and contented temperance.
The revolution OF last Marcel
abolished many Of the czar's de
crees, but it jealousy preserved thu
prohibition, recognizing its sober
| ing influence on the masses alrcad!
somewhat unbalanced by the revolu
tionary uphcayal. True, the militi;
which replaced the old police did no
exercise the same watChfulness anC
energy in enforcing the law OF com
pulsory temperance as their prede
cessors. but the machinery of tn,
excise department was still there tt
see that no illicit manufacture o
vodka took place. Gradually, how
ever. as the anarchy in the countr,
became more and more widespread
the manufacture of and conSump
ton Of vodka increased to alarming
proportions. Toward the end o
Kerenskys regime, according t
Professor Tougan-Baranoysky
leading Russian economist, there
hardly a village in Russia withou
a secret vodka distillerv.
Pllaging the Wine Cellars.
One of the first acts of the bo
shevik regime was to abolish tn
new militia and declare al the law
promulgated by the czar includin
prohibition, null and void. Their
was no longer any need for secr(
manufacture of vodka or secrt
drinking. Inc bOlSheVlK prlnclpI
OF Everybody a law unto himself
has nowhere become operative i
such a glaring manner as in the ma
ter of drikning. The wine vaults {
the car and the grand dukes in P,
trograd and Moscow, the smallt
wine cellars OF the prosperous cit
zens and town and country house
wine shops in every town and vi
lage throughout Russia, because tt
prey OF the unruly mob. In addition
according to the same authority an
fully substantiatcd newspare a,
counts, vodka distilleries sparng u
in every town and village Of Russi
There cannot be any doubt thi