The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-06-28
FRIDAY, JUNE %, 1918.
SHIPYARD WORKERS AND BEER,

Perhaps members of the United
have been to the prohibition lobby, will
listen to the words of sanity uttered
by Mr. Colby, member of the shipping
board He came before them and re-
quested the shipping boards chair
man, Mr.. Hurley, to protest against
the Jones amendment to the emer-
gency agriculture bill, an amendment
providing for immediate prohibition.
Mr.. Colby said that if beer were
taken from the shipyard workers their
output would drop 25 per cent. Con-
ditions are none too alluring in many
of the mushroom yards that have
sprung UP, and the shipping board
does not relish any measure certain
to create deep resentment in the work.
men.
Why should they be resentful if
beer is taken away from them? Because
a couple of hundred thousand of them
are accustomed to beer as a daily ar
ticle of diet, a mild stimulant after
long days of exhausting labor, a
pleasing cOndiment to add relish to
the monotonous diet of the manual
laborer. They see an inconsistency in
the congress of a nation that is fight
ing for liberty interfering with the
liberty of an individual to order his
personal life and tastes as he chooses.
And they are right
It is a disgraceful sight to see the
halls of congress overrun with the
horde of minions of the Anti-Saloon
league, the most powerful and I'M
scrupulous political lobby that ever
existed in America. These anemic up
lifters find that their chief contribu-
ton to the country's cause at this mo-
ment is to stir up deprivation, discon-
tent and resentment among the strong
men who are standing up and doing
the work of America Why, not all
these salaried uplifters in a year ac-
complish for the country half Of what
is accomplished in one day by a stall
Wart riveter working his ten hours in
the open, in sun Or rain, or a swarthy
smith, hammering drop forgings in the
heat of the forge shop. When these
men are through with their days work
the prohibitionists say they shall not
gather about a table and talk over
their joint experiences in beating
the submarine destruction No, they
must enjoy themselves not in their
own way, but in the way that the
lobbyist chooses to set forth for them.
The excuse for this interference is
not that the mer. get drunk from
drinking beer. Today the maximum
alcoholic content of beer. by order of
the president, is 2% per cent. A man
can get drunk on drinking such beer,
but he would have to devote to it more
time and energy than the weary rivet-
er or forgesmith has at the end of his
day of working for the nation. To get
drunk on such beer man would have
to be possessed of such stores of I'M
used energy as remain in the prohibi-
ton lobbyists, who exercise nothing
but their oratory
A drive to eliminate whisky and
heavy alcoholic drinks, and legisla-
tlon supporting such elimination.
would be an expression of the police
power of the state to prevent men
from mdulging in practices detri-
mental to the public health and well
fare. There is ne such excuse for this
crusade against beer and light wines.
Ihey are by their nature temperance
drinks. The fight against them is SIM
ply one more example of that uncon-
querable desire of certain elements In
cur population to regulate the lives
OF every one along their chosen line of
exaggerated austerity.-New York Ey-
ening Mail