The Washington herald., 1918-08-31

Not many thousand miles from here
lin a State which is "drier'' than a
bone. SO some say-they are making
beer. the home brew. In considerable
amounts. They are making 1t good.
too, and at a modest cost, and my.
how they do enjoy It!
So far as We are apprised they are
not getting drunk through drinking
| it, nor are they selling 1t or profiting
in any way, except personally.
| through its manufacture.
| More and more people are learning
the receipe-perhaps more and more
| OF them will brew 1t as time goes on.
| There may be few IL any outward
| indications that this Is the case. but
inwardly there will be the knowledge
that laws are being broken and that
personal liberties have been interfered
with by men whose duties have been
more to perpetuate themselves In
office or in pocketbook, than anything
else.
The net result Of this condition, as
1t grows upon the people of the dry
States OF the nation, will be to dis
illusicnize the people as to prohibi-
tion and to drive them, after years
OF unfortunate experiences. to some
sensible, safe method for the manu-
facture and sale OF malt liquors at
least
The experience. which viii probably
last for some time and which will
doubtless bring III results OF one
kind and another. could have been
avoided merely by exercising discre-
ton and tolerance at this time.
To show how. the prohibition"
family of legislation works one needs
only to review the cigarette prohibl-
ton legislation of many OF the States.
There is not a Sta1 in which the
statue is not being broken and that.
too. outwardly and notoriously. And
not only that but the Federal gov
ernment is aiding all movements to
send cigarettes to soldiers in France
and to supply all those who are held
In camps here. The growth of
cigarette smoking has been stupen-
dous in the nation-every part OF it
In the past three years and 1t will
continue to grow by leaps and bounds
during the next three years and then
some. And this It will do in the face
OF drastic prohibition legislation
which will always have the indorss-
ment of the forces of intolerance.
An effort was made a year ago ir
one of the States where a most
stringent cigarette prohibition statute
is in effect to amend the law so as
to prevent smoking among youths or
under IS years OF age but to permit
| It among persons above that age.
Did the forces OF intolerance grant
the right OF the lawmakers to amend
the statute In this manner? They
did not. They fought 1t to the limt
and preserved on the statute books
able, intolerant law. And today 1t
is being shattered in every town and
hamlet OF the state. The result Is
that youths under Is years OF age
are enjoying the weeds along with
their elders-and not a single coun-
ty attorney in the state would
think of prosecuting law breakers
under this statute.
4 A pretty state of affairs and one
which will cause some thinking and
| possibly some different action when
the next legislature meets
| Packers of the country are try
ing to buy cattle at the price of
the hides in some parts Of the corn
| belt where the corn crop has all
but failed this year. The stock
raisers face a crisis and so do the
people who see ahead of them the
4 necessity of either using more
| wheat or else having both their
normal supply OF wheat and Its SUBJ
stitutes cut on later on in the sea-
son.
The situation demands attention
and numerous farmers of the coun-
try are here now going over the
matter with the Department of
Agriculture and the Federal Trade
Commission. What will be the out
come no one can predict now.
further stimulation of produce
tion of corn and other farm prod
ucts does not seem possible in view
| Of the curtailment of labor. A re-
taxation of the wheat price-fixing
4 provision of the food control bill
does not appeal to some authorities
as desirable solution. There is
only one solution possible and that
rests with Mr.. Hoover. If he can
utilize every pound of grain there
Is raised in the country and can
continue to muster back of him the
people in their splendid campaigns
OF saving and elimination of foods
perhaps we can stave on anything
that resembles food catastrophe.
But, the thing we want to call at
tention to Is that We have grave
duty ahead Of us-every citizen can
DO hio mart and every citizen must