New-York tribune., 1918-05-14

eral government. Does Mr. Israel think
that the crime of making or drinking a
glass of beer. wine or other liquor is so
much more dangerous than these other
crimes that its punishment cannot safe
ly be left to state authorities7
He admits that Article XIV of the
Federal Constitution is openly aud de-
family violated by the Southern pro
hibition states, but pleads that condi-
tions in those states make such
violation necessary. That is not the
question The real issue is whether a
Federal enactment will be enforced
when it is opposed to public sentiment.
The experience of the Southern states
shows that it cannot.
Mr.. Israel tries in vain to defend the
manifest injustice of putting prohibi-
ton into the Constitution Of the United
States by saying that under present
Will OF thirty-five, although the latter
may favor prohibition. This is not true.
Each and all of the thirty-fve states
can now enact and enforce "bone dry"
prohibitory laws if public sentiment in
them is favorable to such policy.
They do not need Federal law to en-
able them to become dry, whereas if
national prohibition is adopted all the
states in which great majority of
the people may be in favor of license
and regulation will be powerless to
carry their wishes into effect
Profound ignorance of economic and
social laws leads foolish people to be-
lieve that the use of liquor is the chief
cause Of poverty. Ignorance of the real
causes of crime, disease and insanity
leads second-rate minds to ascribe
them to the use Of alcoholic beverages.
The only attempt at scientific proof
of the relation of liquor using to the
great evils that atflict mankind has
been certain experiments with guinea
pigs. These experiments show that in
haling alcohol fumes is not good for the
guinea pig. The inhalation of fumes Of
common salt would kill guinea pig,
also man, but this doesn't prove that
salt is a habit forming drug, a body
and-soul- destroying poison, Responsible
for all sorts of social and bodily ills, or
that its production and sale should be
prohibited.
Professor Irving l.. Fisher, in his
letter recently published in The Trib-
une, says that "modern science has
conclusiveiy demonstrated that even in
small quantities the use of alcohol is
somewhat injurious. l need 60 no fur
ther than to cite the epoch-making
work of Professor Benedict. of the
Carnegie nutrition laboratory"
Your readers would naturally sup
, pose from this statement that Profess
sor Benedict has found, as the result
of his experiments Ca report on which
has been published in a monograph by
Professor Raymond Dodge and him
self, that the use of alcohol in small
quantities is injurious. l have read
the work in question three times, but
could not find in it anything to justify
Professor Fishers assertion. | there
IN ~
ing whether he had made the statement
attributed to him by Professor Fisher,
and was informed that what he had to
say on the subject was contained in
the monograph referred to. To a second
letter, asking whether he had published
elsewhere anything that could be con-
strued as basis for Professor Fish
er's statement, Professor Benedict re-
piled that he did not care to be drawn
INTO controversy over the results of
his Investigations. as his report spoke
for itself
In view of the fact that the report
of the Carnegie Laboratory on "The
Psychological Effects of Alcohol" does
not contain any proof that the use of
alcohol in small quantities is injuri-
Gus, l will be indebted to Professor
Fisher If he will inform your readers,
who may have been misled by his ref
erence to Professor Benedict, where
the conclusions he has drawn from the
latter's "epOch- making work" are to be
found. WHIDDEN GRAHAM
Despair Follows
Drink Illusions
For every glow of achievement
liquor may bring to soul hungry
for relief from drab world, there
is the equally potent reaction of
despair, woman who has had ex-
perience with unillusioned women
points out in the following letter:
10 the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: l have been, during a long
LIE, the conhdante of many women
whom the world would not account
successful enough to make them in
the least elf-satisfied--from the feeble.
ineffective, ignorant, all the way up the
grade to the $3.50. And l am inter
tions for the ineffective man.
To most of these women, as thew
see the hopes of youth fade with the
bloom of health and the color of the
unrenewed carpet, and realize that un-
renting, unskilled, unrequited drudg-
cry is all that life offers them, the
idea of getting illusory grandeur and
recognition by spending a considerable
part Of the household pittance on
liquor does not recommend itself. This
is partly because they would rather
spend the money on an attempt to
give their children better show than
they themselves have had, and partly
because they have noticed that when
their $3.50 husbands have enjoyed
illusions of hope in the evening, thew
have suffered equally potent illusions
OF despair next morning-both to the
loss and shame of the unillusioned
family.
Many Of these women have. however
turned to the illusions of religion.
They have supplicated merciful Coo
to hearten their spirits, so that, by
daily bearing with humility, and doing
with that courage commended in the
soldier who defends the last ditch.
and by showing Kindness to others
they. might be in small way an ex
ample rather than a warning to those
they love.
None of these women has ever. be-
cause of her illusions, murdered
stolen or committed arson.
Frankly, to an unscientific and vote
less woman DR.. Edson's argument
sounds like rubbish. If humanity
must progress by such social theories