The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1921-12-29

ANY concentrated movement tend
ing to empty the prisons, increase
the bank deposits. provide better
food and clothing for children, pro-
tect helpless mothers in the house
hold. decrease business of the morgue,
elevate the morals of a nation, pro-
tect the rising generation from the pit
falls of sin and dissipation, is entitled
to be hailed as a harbinger of good
tidings, sign of progress second to
none of the century.
Such is prohibition. Abundant sta
tistics can be cited where arrests fell
off fifty per cent or more. Immediately
| following prohibition; prisons with
less than half the inmates and. in nu-
merous instances, empty jails, with
savings accounts of work people more
than doubled in an incredibly short
time after prohibition prevailed.
The statistics show result so uni
form and one may almost say univer-
sal that the fact must be accepted
and cause assigned beyond all ques-
! ton of argument; it. is admitted by
opponents of prohibition as true, in
| a majority of cases, and claimed to
| be true. in all cases, by the friends of
prohibition.
To illustrate what tremendous re-
form prohibition has accomplished va
need to go back in history a little
way Eighty years ago as ten year
old lad ! witnessed the decanteI
| sometimes a Jug on the sideboard
or convenient corner of the cupboard
containing whisky ready to serve to
visitors; later the jug in the harvest
field, log rolling, or barn raisings, OF
| in fact at all assemblies one might
say except churches; heard the talk
of where the parson had taken too
much'; of the deacon who was toe
| fond of his nip"
Do you doubt it. reader? If SO. &c
a little farther back to find statute
law prohibiting the preacher from i'm
bibing and heavy fines to be paid in
| tobacco for drunkenness.
Washington did not march at the
head of the column in ratifying the
federal constitutional amendment; but
when she did act through her legisla.
ture it was by a unanimous vote of
both houses. The contest had been
long and arduous. The state had gone
"bone-dry" in 1918 by vote of the
paople-96100 for. 54,322 against A
statutory prohibition law had been
adopted at an election held in 1914,
not so stringent as the later law. by
an initiatory vote of 1S9S40 for and
171,20S against, in one of the most
spirited spectacular elections ever
held in the state
During the year 1916 a desperate
effort was made by the liquor inter
ests to nullify in measure the law,
but they were Overwhelmingly defeat
ed in an initiative election.
Prohibition in Washington has come
to stay even if it were possible to re-
peal the amendment to the federal
constitution; and with the twin meas,
ure of progress, the REIMBURSEMENT
of women, is cherished by those who
fought the battle and now approved
by a large majority of those oppos-
| ing the measure when passed.
Ny first recollection of school days
is of an old squat log house in Ohio
| when a brutal teacher got me across
his knee with my face down so he
could conveniently reach my neither
end and padded me until the exposed
part became black and blue after
had gotten home. at least Mother said
| it was; | couldn't see but could Wv
idly feel and believe when I sal
down to my supper of mush and milk
My brother. who in after years we
called Uncle John" and who became
so prominent in Odd Fellowship il
Washington. was present and de
seribed the struggle as "a fight to the
finish; for / scratched and kicked
hit the teachers knee land | had gOo(