The Press., 1922-10-19
Qtems from the Women's Christian
 Temperance Union Bditor)

One is inclined to ponder just what sort of Kings King" finger-crossing, and mental gymnastics candidates elected on wet platform will employ | in taking an. oath of office in which l they solemnly promise to uphold the l law. Knowing that these men will be i taking an oath with certain mental reservations, how is the voter to know that these evasions of an honorable oath will be restricted anywhere?
 Christian Science Monitor. Jail Population of Massachusetts De-
 creaseS Under Prohibition and
 Family Life Improves.
 Denial of reports that have been put into circulation that the number of in- mates of Massachusetts prisons has in- creased materially since prohibition became effective, was recently made ty Sanford Bates, state commissioner of correction, according to the Christian Science Monitor. MT. Bates asserted that these statements have no founda- tiOn in fact and it is believed that they are set on foot by organizations Op- posing prOhit itiOn, with an intent to misIead and distOrt. During the past two years decrease in prison popula- tiOn has been general; In some cases the smaller prisons have been almost depleted. One county jail is now being used as a shoe factory. While there may have teen an increase in the numt CT of prisoners since 1920, when 1 the low water mark was reached, 1t must also be noted that there are only about One-half as many persons in jail as there were efore prOhit itiOn. l A comparison of the number of fami- I oiH 1 citations. in which intemperance was formerly a source of difficulty, during l the years of 1921 and 1917 respective l ly, showed decrease in Boston of 93.1 per cent.
 Prohibition From Different Angle.
 People often speak of prohibition of liquor selling as if prohibition were a new principle in government. As a matter of fact, as has often been point ed out, our law books bristle with pro hitition of all kinds.
 But here is different angle from which to view the matter. We are quite accustomed to various legal com DulsiOnS, which in essence are pro- hibitiOnS.
 For example, there is compulsory
 education. No one is free to remain
 ignorant He must go to school, if the
 law can reach him at all. That is tC 1 say, ignorance is prohibited. Yet the
 loud-vOiced defenders of sO-calleC
 personal liberty never claim liberty
 to remain in ignorance. but praise the
 school, and the government that forces
 children to attend it.
 During the war there was cOmpulsO
 ry military service, and we may have
 it again. This, too, was praised sky
 high by the defenders of personal lib erty It was called patriotism then No regard was paid to a mans person , al liberty Our boys were prohibited
 from remaining in civil life, and bibu lOus liquor men hugely condemned those that dared advance a paciticis opinion.
 There is compulsory taX-paying, ant there is talk of compulsory voting. Il
 fact, the prohibition idea is growin f popular. It certainly is nothing move n l in these days. The law rather deftl prohibits a man from enjoying all tn a l privileges of the city without payin
 for them.
 It has taken a great deal of compu sion to introduce the income tax, an e make men make out their returns. Tn t law, in other words, prohibits persO y from keeping to himself the secret V his income He must tell what h O earns or collects.
 There is no such thing in a ciViliZe
 country as personal liberty in an
 absolute sense. We are hedged abOI C with all sorts of compilations. PrOh y bitiOns stare at us all the time. Eve e the Outstretched arm of a traffic DC e liceman is a prohibition. Try to argu n personal liberty with him, and SC Q what the result will be.