Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1921-07-07
prohibition Anarchy
(st. Louis Post t-Dispatch.)


The protest of Alfred D. Van Buren,
who has resigned as chief counsel to
the Federal Prohibition Commission
er, against the tyrannical abuses OF
prohibition is we'll taken. 1t comes
from source which ought to COM
mand attention from the fanatics who
are driving the country, as Mr.. Van
Buren, put it, stewards prohibition
anarchy" by which, he warns them,
all respect for law essential to its en-
forcement will be lost.
1t is true, as Mr.. Van Buren says,
that the effort to effect national pro-
hibition has gone to such extremes
that it s'affscts the practice Of medi-
cine, pharmacy, chemistry and re-
ligion.n It is true it has penetrated
disastrously into legitimate business.
It is true that respect for law ''cannot
be accomplished by the further cur
tailment of personal liberties and
abuses and ruthless restrictions
Respect sor law cannot be accom-
plished by any curtailment of legiti-
mate personal liberties or any effort
to control the conduct, habits and
customs of the people which are in
themselves limo cent.
Mr.. Van Buren, charges the drift to-
wards anarchy and the effects upon
law and order and public opinion to
the abuses and tyrannical extremes
of prohibition. He is wrong. All
these things are attributable to the
policy of prohibition, which is wrong
in principle and never will work in
practice. The fanatical extremes and
abuses of prohibition are due to pro-
hibition, which is a ruthless driver OF
legislators and law officers.
When, instead of trying to control
the commercial abuses Of liquor, the
Government tried to control the per-
sonal conduct of citizens with regard
to liquor and their home life, all the
fanatical and intolerable invasions of
personal liberty and interferences
with individuals and with business
with the practice of medicine, phar-
macy, chemistry and religion-were
intolerable. In order to keep people
from drinking any kind of alcohol as
a beverage it is necessary to go to the
| furthest extremes of interference with
personal liberty and all professional
and business activities that have any
thing to do with alcohol. 1t was
necessary to overthrow all govern
mental rights and to treat every mar
as a bootlegger and every business
that touches alcohol as law breaker
There is no other way to enforce
sumptuary laws.
! Congressman Hawes recently ex'
planned clearly and forcefully the at
tack in the pending Volstead amend
ments on the rights Of physicians
fundamental rights that touch thei
sacred obligation as healers, thai
blacken and restrain the whole pro
fession in order to check few law
breakers. His protest against th'
outrageous treatment Of the medica
profession was unanswerable from
the standpoint Of fundamental rights
constitutional law and logic. Mr.
Hawes spoke from the general stand
point Of right and law. Mr.. Val
Buren, protests not only from the ger
eral standpoint, but from the stand
point Of lifelong prohibitionist an
an inforoer of the prohibition law
He foresees in the abuses of prohibi
tion legislation and enforcement nc
only disrespect for all law, but tn
utter failure of prohibition.