Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-01-10

CRUCIAL TEST
OF PROHILAWS
Liquor Pouring Into Country
Over Borders Brings Wave
of Crime.
PROHIBITION ON TRIAL


ministration. 1t is backed by Il Con-
eress overwhelmingly pledged to enforce
meht of prohibition and to no modtflca-
ton Of the laws In the way Of leniency,
and it is faced by the fact that the pro-
>I6ibition amendment is being widely and
variously broken.
The question Of enforcement is now
admitted to be the crucial one That is,
there seems to be no doubt but That the
prohibitionists can pass all the laws that
are needed. They dominate not only
Congress. but most of the State Legisla-
lures. Thirty eight States have already
passed enforcement codes, and 1t is pre-
dicted that most of the others will speed
fly do so.
But passing law is one thing and en-
forcing it is another. In spite OF all
these laws, liquor is pouring into the
country over both borders and through
every port. 1t is being taken out OF
bond aad sold. 1t is being illicitly made
and sold. 1t is being made in many
homes by the occupants thereof for their
own use, and these Illicit makers of beer,
wine and whisky include persons Of
great variety of classes, poor and rich,
rural and urban.
Can this wave of lawlessness be
eheckedI The prohibitionists have pre-
sumabIy convinced the American elector-
ate that prohibition is a good thing II 1t
can be made effective. But If it cannot
be made effective If it gives rise merely
to an elaborate system Of law-breakinS,
then the question legitimately arises
again. as to whether IL is a good thing
in such circumstances. In other words,
the best point Of attack which the OPP
ponents of prohibition have is that a law
f= thuV
no law at all, and that intelligent regula-
ton. which could be enforced, would I'M
doubtedIy be better than complete pro-
hibition which cannot be enforced.
WHISKY NAY BE BOUGHT
IN ANY CITY.
The prohibitionists evidently realize
this fact Prohibition may be considered
to be on trial now as a practical propO-
sition, just as it was on trial for long
time as a theoretical proposition. If en-
forcement is made year by year more
effective, it will be hard indeed for the
opponents of the law to make an effec-
:. re attack upon-It. II the wave of law
&breaking gathers and spreads, IL the law
Is dead letter in a considerable part Of
the country, then prohibition will be
attacked as u practical failure, whatever
Its theoretical merits.
The present situation seems to be about
this: Whisky of the standard distillery
brands can be purchased in most large
cities by any one who can pay from IS
TO S12 a quart for it. Various moonshine
brews can be purchased in many rural
sections. Certain alleged medicines, coz
tanning large percentages Of alcohol and
prescribed on the bottle to be taken IN
doses of several glasses a day may BE
hi =,
drug stores and delicatessen stores al
most everywhere Above all, almost any
one who has ordinary cooking facilities
can make in his home either ale, beer,
wine or whisky, and beyond a DOUBT
great numbers Of persons do so. How
can all Of these breaches of the law, and
especially the lost one, be stopped?
We talked this matter over with
= Wayne B. Wheeler, who is general coun-
sci for the Anti Saloon League, and has
often been referred to as the brains Of
that organization. His point of view is
most interesting and presumably may
lie taken as representative OF that Of the
active prohibitionists in general. pro-
found faith in law and in police power
Is the basis of Mr. Wheeler's philosophy.
lie sees the present wave of law-breaking
as a mere temporary thing which will
Inevitably be crushed.
1.-THE law-breaker always fails" he
says. 'He may give us a lot CT trouble,
but we will get him in the long run
CAMPAIGN AGAINST
LAWLESSNESS.
He outlined at some length how tina
Illicit sale of liquor would be checked
by laws governing the disposal Of whisky
In warehouses, by strengthening the en-
forcement organization, and by a cam
paign of education against lawlessness.
THE man who breaks the law is a
traitor and ought to be shot" he said.
He added that the American people could
not hope 20 stamp out Bolshevism and
anarchy as long as they tolerated the
lawlessness of those who break the pro-
hibition amendment. The Anti Saloon
League, he intimated, win devote much
of its educational effort to driving home
this idea In other words, 1t viii try
to make the man who breaks the prohibi-
tion law an object of social odium. That
is undoubtedly one thing which is lack
ing. 1t is considered no disgrace to
make your own" The best people do
1t. The methods are discussed at the
most fashionable and otherwise respecta-
bic gatherings.
The prOhobitionists recognize this as a
lamentable state OF affairs. They realize
that men do not fear the punishments of
the law half as much as they fear the
bad opinion of their fellows They pro-
pose therefore to make the liquos-law
breaker g pariah, to put him in the same
class with the busy bearded bomb-bran
dishing Bolshevist Of the cartoons
This would be easy if he were an iso-
lated figure. But it will be hard when
there are large, solid blocks Of such law
breakers, when whole communities and
especially whole social classes feel the
same way about it.
Mr.. Wheeler was convincing in his
statement of how prohibition viii be en-
{ forced except in the matter of home
brewing. There indeed is the difficult
part OF the job. To restrict the sale Of
malt and hops win hardly solve the prob
lem, for you can make a good beverage
out of almost any fruit or vegetable and
the ways of doing it are multiplying and
spreading. Unless the right of a mans
home to be free from search without war
rant is abolished. SO that prohibition
agents car ransack our houses at regu-
lar intervals for evidences of liquor max
ing, the prevention by police of home
brewing and distilling seems hardly prac-
tieable.
This is tacitly admitted to a certain
extent by the prohibitionists who say
that they depend on their campaign
against the spirit OF Iaw.essness to do
the work. Mr.. Wheeler adds to this an
other argument.
THE making Of various home brews, {"
he says. lis novelty now. But the nov
city will wear of, and il will be for