The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1918-07-19
Yeareof Prohibition Has Brought
Results
Which Reveal Certain Benefits of
Dry Order
Crime Reduced in Cities and Over
State
UNFORTUNATES HELPED
Clear Eyes and Firm Tread Noted
BY Many
Benefits so Noteworthy as to
Cause Word of Praise from
People All Over South Da-

Feople All over SOutn La
kota
1t is expected that temperance jour
nails can only see the brightness and
benefits of the Prohibition order and
testimonials from such sources nat
urally carry with them the sugges-
ton OF a one-sided point of view.
When there is raised an unbiased and
unprejudced testimonial it carries
with it the understanding that the or
der getting the praise must be
worthy or the praise would not be
forthcoming.
The Sioux Falls Press has some
thing interesting to say regarding the
Prohibition order in South Dakota.
1t is further interesting to note that
from over the United States there are
large numbers of daily newspapers
which have taken the side of the Pro-
hibitionists because of the thorough
demonstration of the benefits that
come 70 the commonwealth which
adopt this order.
The Sioux Falls Press makes an in
teresting and valuable comment on
the situation in South Dakota under
the head of "A Year of Prohibition"
All testimony from sources
worthy of attention, and from
some sources that are not, agrees
that Prohibition, the actual kind
of Prohibition that seeks to stop
the drinking as we'll as the sale
of Intoxicating liquor, has been
an immense success in South Da-
kota In short, everything prom
ised for this kind OF Prohibition
by its advocates in South Dakota
has been fulfilled. There is far
less crime, as indicated by police
station records all over the state
and by the records at the state
penitentiary. The superintendent
| of the children's home notes a
sharp decrease in the number of
incoming unfortunates, an indica-
ton that shows there is less pow
erty; and Prohibition has been in
effect long enough to make be-
ginning at proving that the abb
sence of liquor has reduced the
number of illegitimate births.
Meanwhile business men are do
ing a bigger cash business, and
| getting their collections in
promptly. -
There is still another phase of
Prohibition in South Dakota that
has impressed many deeply graft
fed persons. Most men have had
friends who were being ruined by
booze, men of natural talent and
unusual ability in their professions
or occupations who were failing,
dropping deeper and deeper into
the drunkard's low estate, m en-
who could not, no matter how
hard they tried, let liquor alone,
and who had begun to quit try
ing. They did fool things. and
silly things, made spectacles of
themselves in public and private.
and lost the esteem they once
held. Where are these poor un-
fortunates today, and what are
they doing? The reader of this
article can point to at least one
friend, we are sure, who has
come back" whose eye has
frightened, whose shoulders have
Strengthened, who in one short
year of freedom from the blight
of drink has become a man once
more. This is the moral phase of
Prohibition which so vastly
amused the opposition when the
temperance forces dwelt upon the
need for it. Prohibition is re-
claiming broken-down manhood.
That result alone would be worth
while if it cost all the economic
disaster the pro-liquor element so
noisily warned the people against.