Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-11-04
LEGAL BEER" IS NOT
ANSWER TO QUESTION
Liquor Question Demands En-
forcement of Present Laws
Rather Than Weakening
Says Rev. Wicks

In the observance of "Not-Over'
Sunday at the Congregational church
yesterday, the pastor spoke of tht
present reaction against national pro
hibition. There are several things
to remember il we would correctly
estimate this present reaction sale
Mr.. Wicks.
First, such reaction was inevita
BILE. Individuals and communities are
subject to moods. When prohibition
/ was adopted, the nation was in q
mood in which whatever the public
| good demanded was willingly given
Now we are in a mood in which sci
fishness rather than the public welfare
is dominant. A psychologist could
have predicted this change Of mood
two years ago. Though / am no psy-
| chologist, venture to predict that ii
America should yield to the present
reaction and nullify prohibition, it
wouldn't be two years before another
reaction would take place and we
would be saying: What fools we
are?' We had a good thing and gave
| it up
Second, this reaction is unusually
| severe because Of the relief from the
strain of the war.
Third, this reaction is not entirely
| spontaneous, but Is promoted by in
terests that have much to gain by it.
To weaken the Volstead act means
millions to the liquor interests, and
they have been willing to spend vast
sums to produce resentment against
prohibition in the public mind.
Fourth, this reaction is not as
great as the vets would have us be-
lieve. Last Fourth Of July was used
by the vets in the large cities to
stage what were announced to be
monster parades to show the nation
did not want prohibition. They were
dismal failure from the standpoint
of the vets. Comparatively few took
part in them. A couple of pigs under
gate will make up for lack of num-
bers by quantity of noise. This re,
action is strong, but it is not as
strong as the vets would have us
| think.
Fifth, it is reaction against lax
| law enforcement rather than against
| prohibition itsel. 1t is a reaction a.
gainst prohibition only because some
folks seem to think that prohibition
and non-enforcement Of law inevita-
| bly, go together. But that is not at
all necessary. However, If prohibit
ton is to stay, there must be better
enforcement. Good citizens must use
their influence toward that end.
Gain Under Prohibition.
Before we give up the reform that
we have we want to look back to the
days before prohibition, when there
| was saloon in every block, when
mills opened on Monday morning with
from third to half crew present
and sober enough to work, when in
many homes pay day was more dread
ed than anticipated In spite of the
| poor enforcement, there have been
many gains. Arrests for drunken
ness have decreased by two-thirds
Commander Evangeline Booth of the
Salvation Army, says: Drunkenness
| among the men frequenting the Army
hotels and industrial homes has al
most entirely disappeared Last
year Wisconsin led all the states OF
i the union in per capita of savings
There was an increase of twenty-six
per cent in savings the first year OF
prohibition. Why? Before prohibit
ton in comparison with other states
Wisconsin drank more beer per stom
ach, Therefore since prohibition she
saves more money per head.
Beer Was 9-10 of Liquor Traffic.
People who advocate the legaliz
ing of wine and beer need to remem
Der that that means the restoration
Of nine-tenths of the liquor traffic
Government figures show that in 1910
for every 1.42 gallons of whiskey con
sumed, there were 20.09 gallons Of
beer used. Was all Of the drunken
ness and crime and economic loss due
to the LAP gallons of whiskey anG
none to the twenty gallons of beer
We remember too well the unlawful
practices and corrupting influences O.
the liquor traffic, to restore nine
tenths of the business to power. Pro
hibition Commissioner Kramer says
If the manufacture and sale of bee
is permitted, we might as well aban
don the prohibitory law altogether
Every Liquor Law Broken.
"Some people have the idea tina
if beer and wine are legalized thel
the problem of law enforcement j
solved We can judge of the futur
only by the past. We had laws t.
regulate and restrict the liquor trai
fic several years ago. You know a
well as do that they were not en-
, forced In fact one strong reasol
why America did away entirely wit
the liquor business was because n
| maftnr what laws ware naSSnd the