Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-07-17
Why Congress Should Close
the Saloons and Brewerles
During the World
War

the first prize in a w. c. 7. U. con-
test.)
Congress has passed a measure Tor
a prohibition amendment to the Con-
stitution. This has been ratified by
a few States but not enough to re-
turn the measure to Congress Tor
ratification. Seven years are allowed
for enough States to ratify the mea-
sure for it to return to Congress ana
they may take that long. Then, too,
enough States may not ratify the
measure in seven years, n II we
want the saloons and breweries clos
ed during the war it is evident that
Congress- should do it as a war meas
ure and not wait for a Constitution
al amendment.
And why should not such a Dill De
nassed? Whiskey and beer do nobody
any good except him who manu1ac-
lures them. All great physicians now
agree that there is no case OF SICK
ness in which whiskey is now used
that could not better be treated with
some other drug.
Then there are a great many rea-
sons why this law should pass IN
preparing for the war and carrying 1t
on with the highest possible eticlen-
CIV against the monster Autocracy,
we want no leech slowly drawing our
life blood. We want to enter the light
physically, mentally and morally ut.
The manufacturers of liquor are
using great factories and tons upon
tons of coal which should be devoted
to some necessary industry. The IL
ouor shippers are using a space
which is very essential to the ship
ment of food, fuel, clothing and ar
my supplies.
Every man, woman and child
should be doing something to help
win the war and yet here is a part
of our labor taken up in the useless
occupation of making liquors. Stop
the liquor business and the manutac-
ture of liquor and you have many
more men to work in the shipyards
or wherever needed.
The world is today facing a serl-
Gus food shortage. We IN the united
States will probably have less food
than ever before yet we go on allow
ing this same leech, the liquor indus
try, to destroy las far as food value
is concerned) hundreds of thousands
of tons of grain.
The submarines destroyed l2o'ooo
tons for England n year. The brew
cries destroyed 100000 tons OF 1t IN
the same length Of time, yet the sub
marines were notorious on account
of the destruction of food. They were
goine to 'ss~tarve" Britain. By stop
ping the liquor business England
would have saved 100000 tons OF
grain besides making good the loss
es of grain by submarines.
When we think about it we real
ize that the leech is drawing quite a
large amount of blood from Uncle
Sam" in war essentials in this time OF
trial.
But that is not the only way this
LIQUOR evil harms us. Besides hinder
ing us it aids the enemy. The dlstll-
leries and breweries in the United
States are owned for the most part
bv Germans with the stock IN h
business owned in Germany. On ac-
count of the war the big proiits be-
ing made by these breweries and dis
tilleries cannot be sent to Germany.
Instead this money goes to promote
German propaganda in this country.
1t is very probable that the great
German spy system was promoted
or materially aided by the liquor IN
IereStS IN our ONH Sou-itiH
In bringing the army, all the gov
eminent branches and the industries
to the highest point OF efficiency 1t
is abe-'~::ely necessary to study the
oues Ion from all sides, and IN study
ing the question from all sides we
must not forget the units OF which
the whole machine is made. Take
the army for instance. 1t is of course
impossible for the whole army to be
efficient unless the men of which 1t
is composed know their duties and
are efficient in performing them. 1t
is we'll known that the soldier con-
stantly under the influence Of liquor
cannot and does not maintain as high
a standard of efficiency, physically
or mentally as the soldier who does
not use liquor.
1t has been stated that the effect
49,