Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-07-26
LACK EVIDENCE
OF DESIRE FOR
CHANGE INLAW
w. c. I. U. Speaker Says Pro-
hibiti0n in America
Is Success.

H0I oi~SdHiZdtlONS advocating mO0l-
fication of the prohibition law so as
to legalize the sale of light wines and
beer are. without proper evidence, rep
resentlng that such a change is gen.
orally desired the country over. was
the opinion expressed at a meeting of
the W. G. T. U. Monday evening al
the home of Mrs. W. H. Yarnell, 600
Sixth avenue north. Mrs. p. ". Haynes
OF 1lOS Eighth avenue north, for sew
eral years a vigorous W. c. T. L.
worker. read a paper in which it was
asserted that prohibition has been sue
cessful.
"On the whole. there is every reason
for satisfaction in the present enforce
ment laws of the eighteenth amend
ment, which is being recognized as a
cardinal point of the constitution and
the fact that antagonists are renewing
with increased force their well defined
and costly propaganda speaks for it.
self. In other words the enforcement
shoe is p~iuching." said Mrs. Haynes.
The reduction in arrests for drunk
enness in spite of the desperate eff
forts of lawless men to break the law
show that we are on the right track.
In New York city in 1917, the last
"hOAC wei year, the dITe0CS LOT Ofu0k-
enness numbered 1884. In 1921. un-
der the prohibition. they totalled 6.247.
In Boston in 1917 there were 1887
arrests, in 1921, 3O,9S7. In Milwaukee
IN 1917 arrests were Abs and in
1921 only 1886.
"A quotation taken from a letter
written by Judge Gemmill. for 16
years judge of the municipal court of
Chicago, In reply to one written by
an anti-American Prohibition associ-
alton says: You say it was promised
that prohibition would reduce the popu-
lation of the jails, poor houses and in
sane asylums, but after two years of
prohibition the same are filled to over
flowing This is a complete perversion
OF the facts. Twenty per cent of the
jails Of the United States have been
without prisoners since prohibition
went into effect and in 80 per cent of
them the number of prisoners have
been reduced from Is to 80 per cent.
During the year previous to the
enactment of the prohibition law, 100
persons died in n hospital in Chi
cago from alcoholism. Last year one
died in the same hospital of the same
cause. He also stated that in very
large cities in the United States there
has been an increase in crime since
prohibition went into effect.
Judge James A. Collins Of the
criminal court in indianapolis says:
In the four years. 1910 to 1914, when
the saloon was at it's height, about
10000 men and women answered the
roll call for drunkenens, another 10000
to ~offenses committed while under the
roll call for drunkenness, another 10000
delinquency caused primarily by liquor.
Statistics show that prohibition has
brought about the practical elimination
of these cases"
Mrs. Haynes gave statistics from
several other sources and concluded
her paper with a plea made before
the biennial convention Of the National
Federated Women's clubs, held at
Chatauqua, n. Y, by Mrs. Edward
Franklin White, chairman of the legis-
lation department for upholding the
constitution.
Mrs. Madge Stewart read a paper
on '1Thc Life of Anna Gordon" who,
On July 81, celebrated her sixty-ninth
birthday anniversary. Mrs. Stewart in
her paper gave a few interesting in
cidents in the life of Miss Gordon.
who has devoted the greater part of
her life working for temperance and
the principles for which the Women's
Christian Temperance Union stands.
That her name with that of Frances
Willard will so down in history is in
evitable. said the speaker. Frances
Willard was the genius, but Anna
Gordon made the environment in which
that genius came to it's fullest devel-
opment. With perhaps the most varied
existence in philanthrepic work of any
American woman. with rare optimism
and ability and wise diplomacy, Anna
Adama Gordon leads the temperance
of this country. said Mrs. Stewart.
Two vocal solos 80 Sweet Is She"
and a lullaby. Sleep, Baby Dear"
were sung by Miss Flora Pestana. The
remainder of the evening was spent
socially.