The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-26
The Presidents Opportunity.
tchristian Science Monttor.)

t1AIiEtiaH fSSfGHG6 ENbLApaJ
President Wilson should give prompt
and serious consideration to the pre-
amble of resolutions recently adopted
by the Central Labor Union of Wash
ington. appealing to congress to re-
store traffic in beer to the national
capital we believe" the union says,
that the scarcity Of labor, now so
acute in several local industries, is
due in no small part to the constant
| emigration OF workingmen to cities
as yet free from the prohibition
plague. and to the refusal to remain
with us of working men attracted here,
In one manner or another. from such
cities; the district having. in govern
mental departments, no less than in
commercial lines. an enormous labor
turnover"
The chief magistrate could hardly be
expected to regard as desirable acqui-
sitions to Washington working men
who have a fondness for intoxicants
that oYertops their impulses toward
civic pride and patriotism. but 1t is fair
to assume that he will be interested IN
the appeal as indicating how, by
stroke of his pen. he might. for the du-
ration of the war. at least, spread the
plague of prohibition" go that other
cities could no longer, for the reason
given, lure working men away from
the capital.
The Central Labor union il using,
through the medium of its preamble,
an argument long employed by distil-
lers. brewers, and saloonkeepers against
suppression of the liquor traffic Pro
hibition," they have been contending
for years, will hurt your town. You
cannot afford it, 1t will keep visitors
away. 1t win drive out business. 1t
will antagonze labor. The first thing
you know. the real live people of the
place will move to towns where they
can enjoy personal liberty"
Everybody who knows anything
about the operation of prohibition
knows how preposterous such talk has
proved to be. No doubt, some, imagin-
ing that their personal liberty was De
ing abridged by the closing OF liquor
shops, have moved away. but it is very
questionable that they have long con-
tinued hopeful of escaping the anti
liquor movement close upon their heels.
Silliest of the arguments made Is
that. rather than be denied intoxicants.
workingmen in any considerable NUM-
Der would give up employment ano
good wages that they might enjoy per-
sonal freedom in a place untouched as
vet by 1.-The prohibition plague" The
presumption that people enslaved to in
toxieants could enjoy personal liberty
anywhere except in place wholly Tree
from the traffic is, of course, absurd on
It's face No man who thinks more
of LIQUOR than of work. of position, OF
family, of opportunity, could by any
stretch of the most elastic IMAGINATION
he called free.
Now. the plain fact liz that the vetfed
threat in the preamble Just quoted has
ceased to be effective. Neither employ
ers nor communities are DESTROYS any
longer of holding the kind OF workers
who cannot be content when out or
contact with saloon. II such persons
wish to go where they can obtain
drink. In ninety nine cases ont OF
| hundred they are permitted to go with
out protest. The hope is. IN many
| cases, that they win not come back
until they have mastered their desire
/ for liquor. IT Is matter OF common
knowledge now that the str1ctiy tenn
perate man is worth many times more
! to employer and community than the
man who Is addicted. be 1t only slightly,
to drink. and 1t is largely owing to
the spread of this knowledge that the
demand for prohibition is growing
hourly in all parts of the country
Reverting to the president, ne, NO
/, doubt, sees as clearly as anyone that
national prohibition In the United
States is inevitable. 1t may be taken
for granted that he sees also, AS clearly
as anyone, that the sooner 1t comes the
better for the nation and for the cause
the nation is doing it's utmost to serve
Hevond these things, 1t must be accept
ed as a certainty that he sees how the
liquor interests, and those influenced
by those interests, are using to their
advantage the deplorable fact that GER
tain communities and states. notwsth-
standing the general trend. still remain
wet Seeing all this, as he must, IL
cannot be regarded as unreasonable to
hope that he may at the earliest oppor-
tunity, use the power vested In him tc
free the whole nation from the ahom-
Unable traffic for the duration OF the
war. Meanwhile, the nation will. nc
doubt, have taken all necessary steps
toward making temporary prohibition
permanent.
IT want to see one of those regu-