The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-04-06
Putting Prohibition Over
RAMER, Federal Prohibition Commissioner
lin American Legion Weekly

foae gracefully. Everything he writes
and says, every step he takes or de
cIsion he makes, is more or less influ-
onccd by his former prejudices ami be-
lcfs.
IT can also be truthfully said that the
hquor traffic in general was not
much given to having respect for law.
1t is due To this very fact that we have
Prohibition in the land today. If the
business in general had obeyed the Or
dinances and the laws having to do
with the traffic, the people of the coun-
try undoubtedly would have borne,
much longer at least, the evils which
como from that traffic. If the laws
and ordinances forbdding the sale of
liquor to minors and to drunkards had
been obeyed, if the traffic had closed
on Sunday in accordance with ordi-
nances and laws, If girls and women
had been kept from the places OF busi-
ness in accordance with provisions of
law, the people undoubtedly would
have been willing TO bear with some
of the minor evils which come from
the traffic in intoxicating liquors.
In view of all these things, l desire
to ask the question whether we could
reasonably arrive at the conclusion
that, Immediately upon the principle of
Prohibition being written into the Con-
sttuton and placed upon the statute
books, all men would at once obey the
law, or that all men would write and
speak and act calmly and sanely upon
the question? Certainly such q con-
clusion would not be warranted when
we consider carefully the facts con-
nected with the matter.
With the above in mind. let us con-
slider some of the problems which we
have to solve in carrying out the pro-
visions which have been Incorporated
into the National Prohibition Act.
First, we have the border problem.
This problem Is not at all new. Every
village that voted dry under local OPP
ton laws was always bothered more or
less in carrying out the provisions Of
the law by the wet villages which were
near it. Every State that adopted the
principle of Prohibition was more or
less hindered in carrying out the prin-
ciple by the wet States lying near IT,.
And now the nation, having adopted
the principle of Prohibition, is to some
extent hindered in carrying out the
principle by the nations which border
upon US.
Second, the Illicit distilling of whis-
key is a problem which requires con-
siderable attention. This practice has
been in vogue in the South for many
years, but th<e is one factor which
makes it somewhat more difficult to
handle at this time, and that is the high
price which the illicit hlsuiller can
secure for his whiskey. Prior to Pro-
hibition days, all the Illicit distiller
saved was the tax, but now he makes
the entire price at which he can sell
the whiskey.
Third, the National Prohibition Act
provides for the manufacture of patent,
patented and proprietary medicines,
hair tonics, extracts and the like, and
makes provision for the use of intoxi-
eating liquor in the preparation of these
articles. This offers a problem in that
unscrupulous manufacturers will at
times divert the liquor which they Sc
cure for manufacturing purposes, or
place their product upon the market to
be used for beverage purposes rather
than for medicinal purposes.
Fourth, the large quantities Of liquor
which were in bond at the time the
National Prohibition Act became effec-
tive have been a problem of no mean
proportions. We have had difficulty
in that the liquor has been stolen at
times from the warehouses or with
drawn upon forged permits-and this
latter difficulty is the more serious of
the two.
Fifth. under the law manufacturers
have the right to make cereal bever-
ages and place them on the market for
sale, providing they contain under one
half of one percent of alcohol by vol
ume. In making n cereal beverage
manufacturers are permitted TO produce
| a preparation with three or four per
cent or more of alcohol by volume, af'
ter which II must be dealcoholized; that
/ is, the alcohol must be taken from the
beverage so that the latter is reduced
TO strength not TO exceed one-half OF
one per Ctul Vi dlCoiioi ny Npiuii'' ihs
provision of the law has given rise to
some difficulties in that some OF the
breweries of the country place the
product upon the market before 1t i
dealcoholized.
Sixth, the matter OF homo brewing
and distilling is problem which re
quires some thought and attention oil
the part of the authorities.
Seventh. not the least OF our diff
culties has to do with tho organization
which has to be formed TO carry out
the provisions>of the National Prohibi'
ton Act. These agents arc at times
severely tried and tempted. and some OF
them fall. II is altogether likely that
some joined the organization because OF
tho opportunities which 1t affords fol
unlawful gain.
| might mention other problems
but the ones herein mentioned are tn,
main ones. II might bo considered. a'
first thought, that these problems art
| un liffirnlt no IN nnnka ~ imnAeaihla tC