Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-09-30
Thursday, September 80, 1920.
Alcohol and the Will Of the World

SfCoHo' ana INC VIII OF tne WoFIo
The change in the attitude of the
public toward the use of alcohol in
the past fifty years is wonderful to
those who comprehend the situation
and confusing TO those who fail to
appreciate the steady and irresistible
trend in favor of absolute prohibi-
ton of the liquor traffic.
In view OF what has happened the
blindness Of those who won't
see would be incomprehens,ble
were it not that the world
is overpopulated with such as
base their beliefs on their wishes.
1t is not surprising that they thought
national prohibition impossible
there were many otherwise sensible
people Of like opinion; but now that
it has come; now that it is seen pos
sible to choke the gorging liquor YAM
pire from its prey; now that the dis
tilleries have been changed to decent
purposes; now that we have seen the
country freed from the open saloon:
seen the jails emptied; seen those who
were dependent on their regular
drains forced to other habits; now
that we have experienced revelation
Of civilization without liquor, we are
indeed blind not to see that civiliza-
ton cannot return to the wallow and
exist.
L. when organized, who. with the
vision OF the prophet. foresaw the
day when this country would forego
its liquor revenue blood money and
outlaw alcohol. To the world of that
day they were not prophets but
cranks, not leaders of thought but
lunatics Today they are revered, all
this in less than half a century!
The world is waking. Economics
has sounded the alarm. Money not
only talks within it's sphere but in
tones which penetrate the ears Of
the drowsy. Efficiency in our land.
freed from the benumbing effects of
alcohol. makes US vastly more for
midable competitor in the world
than before. Our rivals will be
forced to throw off the weight Of
booze; self preservation will demand
1t. Leaders of thought in England.
France, Germany and Italy, in all
parts of the civilized world realize
this. War restrictions showed the
way to reducing the sale, the first
step. revealing the vuinerability and
iniquity of the traffic. 1t requires no
gift of prophecy to foresee greater
rather than less restriction.
That moods of slackness will coma
must be expected. Such relapses &C.
cur in every phase of human nature.
Indeed, there is much of slackness
today. The present national admin
istration, left on the passage of the
prohibitory amendment, in control OF
the liquor in the country, able to
keep 1t under control. had, up to Sept.
/, issued 7e,714 permits for sale, nine
tenths of which are believed to have
been unnecessary. Our revenue force
is altogether inadequate for the work
II has to do. Notwithstanding all
this, notwithstanding in some places
liquor seems fairly plentiful for
those who have the price to pay.
there probably is not community
in all this country which is not today
realizing benefit from the prohibi-
tory law.
And are we to turn back? AS we'll
ask: Are We fools" The will of the
world is to be free from alcohol and
now that it's intelligence has been
appealed to; now that it has tasted
the power to put the curse aside
now that it's vision of things tenn
poraI as we'll as of things spiritual
has been cleared, those who are
seeking to revert to the old order
need hope for no other advantage
than that which comes to other GRIM
inals, scheming to evade laws which
are the will of the people.