Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-11-23
Editors Letter Box
What the Figures Say

What the Figures gay
Augusta, Me, Nov. 10, 1922.
Editor of the
Kennebec Journal,
Dear Sir:
For the benefit OF, D. c. Jewell of
Gardiner. Maine. ana all others who
have been reading misleading propa-
ganda on the prohibition question.
will you please drop these figures
into your Letter Box which I have
copied from the American Issue OF
Nov. IS. 1922. under the head line
Figures Do Not Lie-But Liars Can
Figure" (By Samuel Wilson,.
The Minute Man. published by the
Association Against the Prohibition
Amendment prints list of Sc Amer
lean cities. showing the number of
arrests for drunkenness and disor-
derby conduct. The comparisons are
made between two dry years, 1920
and 1921, and significantly dodge any
comparison with wet years. SO we
supply the omission, and have added
to the list Jersey City, which, for
some unexplained reason, the wet
propadandist omitted. We have COM
pared these figures with conditions
in 1907. wet year. copying from the
latest official tabulations given in
statistics of cities, compiled by the
bureau of the census. These figures
show a decrease in arrests for drunk
enness and disorderly conduct from
542,718 in 1907 to 344.s11 in 1921, or
Sc per cent. During this same period
the populations of the 81 Cities in
creased 6,419.901, or 81 per cent, and
but for prohibition which outlawed
the saloons, there would have been
like increase in the number of ar
rests instead of a decrease Of SO per
cent. The list showing the arrests
for drunkenness and disorderly con-
duct in 1921, as printed by the
Association Against the Prohibi-
ton Amendment, to which we have
appended the figures for 1907, wet
year, and the increased population
between 1907 and 1920, as reported
by the bureau of census show an In
crease in a few instances; as for in
stance: Akron, Ohio, 3,035. with an
increased population of 156,362: and
Detroit. 112, with an increased popu-
lation of 626,1S4. So according to
these figures it seems to me that
there is not much occasion for alarm,
and they prove, too, that prohibition
though it be poorly enforced, is better
for the Nation at large than license
ever can be.
A. X. Spauldng, Augusta, Me.
Gardiner, Me, Nov. 10, 1922.
Editor of the
Kennebec Journal,
Dear Sir:
l have no wish to enter into con-
troversy with the able editor of the
Kennebec Journal for, even with all
the attributes of right and reason on
my side, l should probably get the
worst of it. However. l would like
to correct the impression which the
editors Interpretation of my letter
| has probably given. I would not
care to have a saloon on every COR
ner, nor do 1 believe it Is necessary
to have any saloons. There is a
medium between the saloon and pro-
hibition and other governments have
found it. Quebec has a law which
has yielded the government four mil
lion dollars profit during last year
and is pronounced by the Governor
a moral and fina1Uial success" 1
do not know just how it--operates
but it probably enables sober, re-
spectacle people to purchase what
they want in an honest, legitimate
way, thus saving self-respect and
cutting down the number of criminals
and hypocrites
One would think from the Editors
reply to my letter that the patrons
of the saloon were the only people
who drank. yet it has been shown
that the American Merchant Marine
cannot operate successfully without a
bar. Who does the drinking any
how? And does it make any real
difference whether one drinks in a
saloon or has it served at table from
stores in the cellar. According to
the Editor they are all criminal law
breakers and should be watched by
all good citizens. Well, we've got
some job on our hands.
If the u. S. Government wished to
make a real success of the 18th
Amendment they should have con-
fiscated every bottle of whiskey in
the country and all other intoxicants
and destroyed them and then put
out of commission the law of fer
mentation. Perhaps then prohibition
would prohibit Otherwise I do not
believe prohibition can succeed in
any self governing country especially
when the people are as ingenious as
they are in America.
There. have said my say-spoken
my mind and that is a great deal
more than the politicians do.
I thank the Kcnnebec Journal for
its courtesy in publishing my humble
opinions as it may encourage others
to express themselves on this subject.
Very truly yours,