New-York tribune., 1922-10-08
IHl(K AHlXSllVl
world with only about per cent off for *.
understanding and 10 per cent for h,ms NO.
variability. @a

e-l IN
variability. 'a'
PROHIBITION in Hickville on the Audso. !.
exactly where it was FIVE years ayo i, IL,
a dozen big inland cities that have sinca -
getting dryer and dryer. In New York a.. !.
IS fairiy dfficult to get drink over bar. s.
IS hard to get drink at restaurant. d..
the bootlegger is in his golden age. His -
organized industry. Men buy concession. ~
certain territory-as, for instance. the :.
floors Of a. rich Office building, the street I.
fore great store. Moreover, in one 40 j.
famous hotels former politician and -.
government official, high in the counc;l. s
the Republican party has suite of oNsoa
where ne conducts bootlegging as an orc.s
1zed industry de luxe, with his own nr;v.t.
warehouse. A theatrical newspaper nm. IS.
price of bootleg liquor as it runs other r,.r
ketable commodities and the prices are ac.u
rate. But they are most ungodly high. 1nIv
the rich can afford liquor now, and they must
drink it at home. The industry which as.
pended for it's maintenance upon creatins Il.
normal appetites for liquor and getting lid II
Il big daily supply, the business which soak
more money from the poor man for booze than
ne paid for clothes or rent, and often took Il
at the expense of his clothes and his rent
that business is gone. That was all prohibit;o.
ever tried to do, and in that much prohibition
prohibits in New York. Millions Of cases If
liquor actually come into the country And
much liquor is consumed. But when one con.
siders how good business a first class bar.
fpnd
much booze he sold in a long day and night. Il
is easy to see that the gross consumption Of
liquor is vastly lower even in New York than
it was ten years ago. II it was not lower the
liquor interests would not be bowling the
rivets of their necks loose and putting uu mil
lions for Eight wines and beer" That much
the booster hick and his Presbyterian god
have put over on the hard-boiled hick and his
merry ha-ha. Ten years from now drink
will be just as hard or just as easy to get as =
lady of easy virtue-not difficult Job, 81
course, but rather negligible as compared with
the mass of the population that doesn't care
to pay the price in the various coins in whics
society takes the toll for anti-social diversions
politics in Hickvine has just seen an ed-
Tying spectacle. In each party free
strong man has booted the bosses out Of TEN
porary control of the party machinery. Of
course, the man who booted the boss is HIM
SELF as much Of boss as the bosses he booted
out. But between Governor Miller and the
Republican bosses there is fundamental dif-
ference. The bosses wanted to control the
party for the spoiIs. Miller demands control
Tor the good of the party and the state. Pat.
ronage does not interest him. In the Demo
cratic party former Governor Smith overthrew
Murphy, Hearst and -Hylan with no though
OF what he might get out Of it. He and Cor
ernor Miller look at public service in about The
same way To them public service is burden
70 pc borne that certain definite ends may be
achieved. With the average party bosses Of
any party public service offers an opportunity
for spoils. The boss's game is a simple one.
He trades public honors to vain men for The
privilege OF plundering the public BY taking
the heart out Of public service and selling it to
the highest bidder. This game both Governor
Mller and former Governor Smith destroyed
1or the moment, in so far as it affects the
puDllc business of the State of New York
Naturally, Governor Miller and former Cow
ernor Smith desire first of all the public good;
Dut they differ fundamentally in their concep-
ton OF what is the public good, Miller is an
inteillgent and honest conservative. He be-
Ileves that the public deserves only what he
and the wise leaders about him find 5 good
Tor the public. His leadership has been, On tns
whole. excellent. He has rarely been rcasdun-
ary. But his is the benevolent despcsisnl q
the, enlightened autocrat. Smith is 8 conssteht
LIBERAL He has not been as wise as Govefncf
Miller; but Smith has been more attentlve g
public sentiment. He belongs to the school
that feels that the people should make tner
cwn mistakes. and by having what they wan
eventually come to know what is good icl
them. The New York issue is fairly wen
marked. Rarely in an American state has @
honest and courageous conservative Of intelh'
gence faced an equally honest and courageous
liberal with equal intelligence. 1t will pe s;
pretty fight. And may the best man win; iol
there is nothing else in the fight. But, as s &
matter of fact, the times do not seem to be Elps
for liberalism cast of the AIleghaniess
80 THIS is Hickyille on the Hudson--a Crane
old town, more glorious than Athens unoeA
Pericles, grander than Rome under the Gassfs
Despite the fact that its foreign-born popu'R
ion overtops its Eative-born, and although oaes
# its greatest newspapers is printed il 4 for
Sign tona,le and MANY az its pigest and nQ4s