Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-30
WARTIME PROHIBITION

wv pears TO be a certainty. The
| Senate has adopted the meas
ure with n proviso that II shall be-
come effective July l Of next year
and remain in force until after the
| Rehabilitation of the American
! armies following a declaration OF
peace. The President is then to issue
a proclamation to the effect that Ii
| quor may again be sold. But the
| likelihood is that such a proclama-
ton will never be issued. for it now
| is assured that the national proht-
bition amendment will have been
enacted and enforced before that
! time, even though the war end sud
| denly.
President Wilson's hope to stave
off the prohibition law until January
!. 1920, will not be realized. Con-
gress is unalterably opposed to il
and he is too shrewd a politician TO
! run the risk Of passage over veto.
| John Barlecorn's death sentence
! has been passed. He will shortly go
TO sleep. never TO awaken, and the
! American people will be rid of a
monster as vicious and as demoraliz-
ing as the Kaiser himself. If the
war brought no other benefit it
would be well worth while as the
! harbinger of national prohibition.
With the Congress of the United
States voting unreservedly 10 stop
the sale OF all manner of alcoholic
beverages in this country, State leg
islatures will be encouraged to vote
dry" that otherwise might have
hesitated. The last excuse for hold
ing back in Pennsylvania has been
removed. The. general approval of
press and people should show the
candidates of this year the folly of
Withholding their approval. If they
want to be on the popular side they
should openly line up with the
"drys." To DO otherwise is to link
themselves with a lost cause and 10
go down on the public records as
favoring booze when comparatively
few outside the liquor business be-
lieve that booze should be continued.
There is the moral side of the great
issue, to he sure, but If prospective
| legislators find excuses in their own
consciences to overcome the argu-
| ments of those who know that the
( liquor trade is a great evil and
should be abolished that that reason.
how are they going to argue against
statistics which prove beyond ques-
ton that the liquor trade is the most
wasteful of any in the world? Sena-
tor Kirby. OF Arkansas, voiced the
sentiments Of millions OF people
when he said on the floor of the
Senate. opposing the Presidents pro-
posal that the date for stopping the
sale of booze be advanced from Janu-
ary l to July 1, that due to the vast
consumption of coal and foodstuffs
| and the needless use Of railroad
facilities, az a time when fuel. grain
and cars are at a premium, war
time prohibition should have been
put into effect long ago.
- 10 GN4NGANt "4NAOul pEOOL OE
argument, that wartime" condi-
tions in these respects are going to
prevail in America long after hostili-
/ ties actually have ceased. During
the reconstruction period in Europe
and while we in this country are
readjusting ourselves to the activi-
! ties OF peace. the intense demand for
/ grain, coal and railroad transporta-
/ ton will continue and there is only
/ one big bung- hole to he closed, and
that can be accomplished by cutting
/ off the making OF alcoholic drinks
which do no good and much harm.
/ For many years we shall have to
! think seriously of our food and fuel.
and it is likely that we shall never
get back to the old free and easy
days of the ante-bellun period. Bust
: ness and morals both cry out against
I the continuance of the booze trade.
1t is up to the legislatures of the
! several States to make prohibition
I permanent. The necessary number
may be relied upon 10 do their part
I Will Pennsylvania be among them +?