Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-01-16

bread line. 1t used to be that you
could get 1000 snow shoyelors by Wis.
iting few Bowery saloons Now you
couldn't find forty. Men who former
ly came 10 us for beds are now pay
ing their own rent"
Commenting on the fact that forty
five of the forty-eight state had rati-
fled the eighteenth amendment (New
Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island
being the only ones not to do sol Mr.
Anderson said: An important thing
TO remember is the fact that, while no
referendum on national prohibition
was taken for the reason that there
was no way one could be held, the
dry amendment was ratified exactly
as all others have been. Nine-tenths
of the area and almost two-thirds OF
the population of the United States
were dry under state and local action
before prohibition became part Of
the nations organic law.
THE false charge is made that pro-
hibition was put over on the coun-
try while American soldiers were
fighting in France. The truth is that
in December, 1914, the question was
voted on in congress and received Il
majority in the lower house but not
the necessary two-thirds ' requires.
That made it an issue. Then, in the
elections of 1916, more than six
months before an American soldier
had gone overseas, republican and
democratic candidates committed to
prohibition were elected in many cas-
es by these soldiers to congress.
How BrOsght About.
prohibition was consummated by
the moral element of American citi-
zenship, including the business ele-
ment, which recognized that alcohol,
even when moderately used, lessenedl
efficiency. The railroads were the
first to recognize this and as early as
1890 the Reading railroad ordered the
dismissal of engineers or firemen
who frequented saloons. The Lacka-
wanna and other roads adopted SINH
lar restrictions later. Life insurance
actuaries in their mortality figures for
moderate drinkers clinched the ar
gument for abstinence in the busi-
ness and commercial world.
THE antlltauor war in the United
State began in 1912 when the Mary
land colony passed a law furnishing
drunkenness by fine Of 100 pounds
of tobacco. The long and uphill fight
is ended Ohio Is the only state that
has in its constitution provision that
the legislature must submit to a ref
erendum ratification of any amend
ment to the federal constitution. Even
if the vets win in Ohio that will not
affect the other states, in two of which
the supreme courts have decided
against referendum"
Two Grea,. Factors.
Asked as to how the prohibitionists
succeeded in getting New York state,
one of the wetteSt commonwealths in
the union, into the dry" column, Mr..
Anderson said the miracle was ac-
complished unwittingly by the liquor
interests and Tammany" He went on:
'Tammany put into its platform in
1918 an prohibition plank and
tried to carry the legislature. The re-
publican candidates, generally, de-
clared for ratification and were elect
ed. Because Tammany had made 1t a
party matter, the republicans did
likewise. Tammany chiefly was inter-
ested in electing a governor and did
elect a governor. but the 'drys' won
the legislature because they knew rat
fication would he up to the assembly
and senate and that it would no go to
the governor for signature. The cleo
ton gave us four-fifths of the repre-
sentatives in both houses committed
10 prohibition. We simply beat the
(COntinupd on PaPn TwOl