New-York tribune., 1921-06-02
From William II. Anderson
Prohibitions Benefits Even Under
imperfect Enforcement


Sir: Since your editorial Of lee.
Sunday entitled Prohibitions Futu,s1
specifically addressed me by name
venture few suggestions.
1t IL true, as stated in your editors,
that at the beginning Of national n,o.
hibition there vas disposition q,
the part Of the public To- accept !,
However, the bipartisan nulliAcatior
conspiracy in New York which va,,
unrebukcd even by newspapers that i,
the main stand for law and ord.,
started the process Of disinteprst;o,
And it will not be stopped until II.
good citizenship generally, includlng
newspapers that claim to be exponent,
of good citizenship, insist that pro.
hibition shall have fair trial ana
make clear that it can have fai,
trial only through enforcement.
Bootlegging and Illicit n1anufaetn,.
ing existed under license. Prohibis,o,
ct its worst in New York City is bs.-
ter, even as respects conviction q,
violators, than Sunday Regulation" in
the license days. Prohibition nro.
hibits in the country at large IA,
better than regulation ever. regulated
1t is impossible in the same corr
pass to answer the succession OF nevs.
tive objections in your editorial er-
cept to say that they give an er.
roneous impression. If The Tribuns
will allow the use Of two or three
columns I will undertake TO answer
these things constructiyely, but sub.
nit herewith only three specific IN.
stances-one general and one local re-.
specting prisons and one bearing on
the financial situation. These are bus
samples.
The secretary OF the New Yoy.
State Prison Commission reportsa
last month that in the year ended
June 80, 1920, the first year of national
prohibition, there were 59,O33 com.
mitments, as contrasted with s5,17s
for the preceding year, a decrease Of
26,142. A survey made within the last
few days in Syracuse showed that
while many of the saloons are stiu
open and selling in a reduced way tb.
commitments for 1920 to the Onondss,
Penitentiary were 227, as against
1920 for 1877, the last year Of fun
license, decrease Of IS per cent.
while the commitments for intoxies.
ton dropped from 996 in 1917 to Is
in 1920, decrease of over 80 ne,
cent.
The report OF the Savings Bank Az.
sociation of the State Of New YORK
shows that notwithstanding business
depression and unemployment the
people of New York State put into the
savings banks of the state the first
quarter of the present year s4l,85y,,
796 more than they withdrew during
the same three months.
There is nothing in the national
situation that has not been ex-
perienced. and settled, by the various
states. The matter of jury trials il
no exception. Eventually, when it be,
comes clear that there is no safety
under the law for any citizen exceps
az every law is respected and meas.
urably enforced, juries will begin to
convict exactly as they have done else
where. Already juries are convict.
ing III New York in the Federal courts.
Jurogs are citizens. Most of them are
taxpayers. When they comprehend
that tremendous expense is placed
upon the public through acquittals in
disregard Of their oath as jurors this
Will cease to be joke, and convic-
IONS IN clear cases, with adeouats
penalties, will both relieve the public
of the burden of enforcement expense
and reduce the number of violations.
In short, even under imperfect en-.
forcement, prohibition is bringing SUBJ
stantial benefits, and enforcement will
steadily improve unless there be
confession that the liquor traffic Is
stronger than the Constitution of the
United States and that the greed and
appetite upon which 1t is based are
stronger than the patriotism, the re-
spect for law and the fundamental
morality of the American peQpi-.
The Anti-saloon League recognizes
clearly "that prohibition faces
crisis" 1t is for this reason that we
appeal to good citizens to stop being
guilty Of bad citizenship by conniving
at Or encouraging violation of any Law.
1t is for this reason the moral forces
are marshaling to fight as long and
as hard as necessary to promote the
enforcement of the prohibition law,
not because it is prohibition. but bs-
cause it is the law.
WILLIAM H. ANDERSON,
State Superintendent Anti-Saloon
League Of New York.
New York, May 81, 1921.