The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1918-08-16
Loss of Moral Standing, Business
Disqualification and Incidental
Disgraces Will Do Work Fin
ally; Full Prohibition Needed
Now

Whatever is obtained must be got at
the cost of something, for its trans
pires that it is universal agreement
that this age is past the point where
one can get something for nothing
The price which is paid for anything
may or may not be in proportion to
its real value, but in some instances,
such as cited by the Atlanta Constitu-
ton, the price which some are forced
to pay is high out of all proportion to
| the return received.
Atlanta and other dry territory has
continuous fight with the illegal lq-
uor agencies and must be vigilant
against infractions OF the reform laws.
1t is a job to put the tiger" out Of
business, and just SO long as liquor
manufacture is permitted the trouble
will continue. The Constitution has
this to say regarding the final ban OF
the tigsr. which is pronounced sure,
although it has beer slow:
The Price They Pay
The work of putting the tiger"
out of business in states that have
banished booze may be slow, but
it is sure.
And for this, among other rea-
sons: The patron of the whisky
peddler-if he be a man at all
is ashamed Of his patronage.
And not only that, he has vio-
lated the law himself, but some
thing is thereby lost to him in that
feeling of pride of citizenship
which goes to the making of a
man.
He might keep under coter as
to the letter of the law, and ex-
cuse his action on this or that
plea, but he can't get away from
the fact that he is less the man in
his own estimation; and can't
conscientiously look Home in the
face"
That is one phase of the price
he must pay. And it is big and
bitter onel
Along this line The Commerce
(Ga.) News has an editorial on
the great change in public senti-
ment as to the man who now
drinks at all, and what it means
to aim:
Wholesale companies would
not give employment to man of
that type today if they could get
such service free of cost. They
had rather pay a sober man-an
abstainer, $500 per month, than to
accept free service from one who
tarries at the bowl. The retail
merchant likewise, the same man
who, years ago accepted the ten
dered drink, today would not buy
goods from a man of that type.
In other days-and it hasn't been
long since-the politician hid his
jug in the corner or in the bushes
and the voters at the polls got
three fngers-sometimes more
before he cast his vote. The cam
ddate himself was not tabooed
because he patronized his own
jug. But great change has
been wrought. Public sentiment
today frowns on the candidate
who either drinks himself or uses
strong drink to win votes.
There is no joke about the dry
bone belt; it is mighty serious
proposition to the offending ones
any way they look at it. 1t is
losing game to them.
There are forces at work
against the tiger" and his patron
Jail sentences for the one, and
loss of influence and occupation
for the other-that will put them
both out of business.
That is the price they must pay.
For immediate relief, wartime Pro-
hibition will solve the tiger" prob
lem in these parlous times, and for
the lasting remedy the ratification of
the national Prohibition amendment
is the sure and necessary route. To