, 1921-10-13
NO CAUSE FOR ENCOURAGEMENT.

The enforcement or the Eighteenth amendment Is
still one of the leading topics of the day throughout
the country. The general opinion is that the friends
of the amendment have no real cause for discourage
ment. A writer in the New York Tribune in speak
ing Of the situation in the larger cities says:
Considering all the circumstances, the situation
relative to the enforcement of the prohibition law,
particularly in large cities, is no cause for discour-
agement and might have been foreseen. Indeed, any
thing approaching an adequate enforcement for some
years after the enactment OF the law can hardly be
expected. The drinking habits of thousands OF the
population create a market for bootleg whisky, the
local politicians as a class were not in favor of The
law, much money could be made through brides to
cities contain a foreign element hostile to our form Of
government and eager to promote the violation Of its
laws.
try the fedef-l government has shown itself capable
of enforcing the Constitution and the laws notwith-
standing more than one sporadic rebellion. It will be
the same with The Eighteenth amendment in the long
run
REPORTS on the situation in various cities that the
emphasis is on the extensive sale Of whisky at from
81 to SIS a quart, except for amateur stuff with its
added poisonous qualities.
Boys don't begin on whisky, and neither do men
of good sense and ordinary means invest any consid-
cradle sum in the imported brands at such prices.
When the bootleg whisky has burned out its ~votaries
the demand will greatly decrease and new purchasers
will not be created.
sMuch nonsense has been written respecting the
amendment and the volstead law. 1t is absurd to say
that these were put over by an aggressive minority.
The whole history of the growth of prohibition senti-
CoHlfdulCts u SuEkthlon- lnt lAlluIt u 4
the Democratic state convention to adopt the Tam
many plank in favor of beer and light wines would
seem of itself a sufficient straw to indicate the way
the wind is blowing. Both the amendment and the
law express the sober judgment of a large majority
of the people of the United. States.
"No argument has been too absurd to be advanced
to nulify il possible the effect of the amendment by
making convenient ~loopholes in the law for its en-
It has been urged that 2h per cent beer
should be permitted. The fact is that u per cent
beer smells, looks and tastes like beer, but, as has
been wittily said, 1T doesn't seem to have the auth
ority.' The 2h per cent product has the authority
and there is no other reason why any one should be
interested in advocating i- @
"The Bible has been appealed to, mainly by those
who have no other use for it, for arguments in favor
OF alcoholic drinks. 1t ought to be sufficient to say
that but for that book and its teachings and the en-
ergy Of those who follow its precepts there would be
no such amendment apd no such law to combat.
q sudden and suspicious eruption Of patriotism and
desire to preserve our liberties and the enforcement
Of the Fourth amendment to the Federal Constitution
is now observable. Those who call upon the universe
to behold how the Fourth amendment is violatsd con-
veniently omit to lay stress upon the word 'unreason-
able which qualities the words search and seizure.
The majority of citizens will willingly permit that
search of their automobiles, for example, which shall
show them good citizens, obedient to law, and consid-
err the Inconvenience as their contribution to good gov
crnment, law and order. ~
at should be noted that all of the Ten Command
ments are still being violated after some thousand
years of enforcement, and probably these recent ex-
pressions of the good sense CT humanity as found in
the amendment and the law against alcoholic drinks
will be likewise violated. Nevertheless such violations
will be less in number as the years pass and will in
time be no more manageable than other crimes
against the public welfare by the dregs Of society"