The Farmington times., 1920-02-20
ALL ABOARD THE
WATER WAGON

Today he is apparently hrmiy seaseu
on the water wagon, and the road be-
hind him is strewn with broken and
empty bottles, relics of livelier, If not
more happy, days. To some hundreds
of thousands the prospect is lugu-
brious. To some other hundreds OF
thousands the prospect is bright with
hope. 1t is great change this, from
universal humidity to continental
aridity. Aforetime, and as far back
as we can peer into the dawn OF his
tory, man has been accustomed to ms
drink. The vikings took deep drafts
before going into battle, and, If they
lived, took deeper drafts on coming
out. Otherwise they drank IN Valhai-
la. Now man, unless he has had pre-
vision to make provision, may drink
no more. Nor may he hope to guam
cup when he goes to join his fathers.
That which is forbidden here on eartn
cannot logically be held out as a re-
ward in the hereafter. 1t has been
questioned whether the prohibition
law will be innocuous. Prohibition
has been written into the organic law
of the land, Can it be enforced!
Dainel C. Roper, Commissioner OF In
ternal Revenue, churchman, and me-
long tetotaler, answers affirmatively.
Said he in an interview with Theodore
M. Knappen, printed in the New YORK
Tribune:
It is nv firm belief that this law
ean and will be enforced. To my mind
the Constitutional Amendment and
the Enforcement Law do not run con-
trary to human nature. DO not oe-
lieve that ages Of habit or heredity
have rooted necessity for alcohohc
drink in the human constitution
Neither do / believe that there is in
this country such a great mass OF in
veterate opposition to prohibition as
an encroachment on the rights OF man
that despite all our efforts the law will
become a dead letter. The human race
has been for centuries the victim of
| rreat delusion and a bad habit. The
American part of the race has now de-
cided to break its bonds and reform,
| lust as thousands and millions of men
have done for themselves in these last
ifty wears. We can and should rid
ourselves of alcohol just as we, do
with the narcotics. | know that there
are millions of people who energetic
ally ha., prohibition, but | know also
that million of slaves Of whisky well
come prohibition
Also, know that the overwhelming
majority of the American people re-
spect the rule Of the majority and are
frraly law-abiding. They will insist
on the new departure having far
trial. If they consider it is an expert
ment, they want it at least to be
thoroughgoing and honest experiment.
Honestly, | believe that after lit
tie while we shall enforce the prohl-
lbition law as well rs the laws against
larceny arc enforced. There has al
ways been stealing and there always
will be, but know of nobody who is
not an anarchist who is in favor OF
repeating the laws against theft be-
cause after six thousand years and
r.ore of such laws they are still vioo-
Hated. The prohibition law will be Vi
olated-extensively at first, slightly
later on; but it will, broadly speaking,
be enforced and will result in a nation
chat knows not alcohol. My own opin-
ion is that we shall be immeasurably
better off without liquor.
1t will be only matter of time un-
til other nations follow our example.
National teetotalism will so increase
our efficiency that they can't compete
with us and keep on drinking. A
great European merchant was in my
office a short time ago and he told
me that from his observations in the
United States, under such prohibition
as we have had in the recent past,
general prohibition would SO raise the
standard of our industrial efficiency
that Europe would have no choice but
to follow our example or else be hope
lessly outclassed.
Ardent prohibitionist that am
however, | can say that it is not my
intention to act like fanatic in en-
forcing this law. 1t amounts to an
enforced revolution in the habits OF
millions of people; it is sweeping in
ovation; it is new order of society
People must be educated upto it, and
they must first be made aware of the
fact that the law is no joke-that II
can be enforced and that it is going tc
be enforced. They must be broken in
so to speak.
The Tribune writer then gives us
further reasons why prohibition viii
be enforced:
Congress appropriated $2,OOO,OOC
for enforcement of the law by the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
and gave the Department of Justice
an additional 100000 for the expens
es of the duties that will be imposed
on it by it's work in the courts. Mr.
Roper created Federal prohibition di
vision of his bureau to deal with ad
ministration enforcement and placed
at the head of it John F. Kramer, 81
Mansfield, who is known as the Fed
eral Prohibition Officer. Like Mr.
Roper, Mr.. Kramer is believer il
prohibition. He likes his job so vel
that he almost wonders why he is
drawing pay for working at it. He
sees no insuperable difficulties in en-
; forcing the law.
"There is no doubt about it," said
Mr.. Kramer, when / asked him II he