, 1922-02-22
..HAYING

Out in Massachusetts, they have been having the
usual trouble, noticeable everywhere else, of enforcing
prohibition laws. Massachusetts has a large foreign
population and this adds to the difficulty of suppress
ing the drink habit. Not long ago an enforcing off,
Ger pulled a political banquet in a public hotel and TO
show his zeal searched the upper rooms of permanent
guests and captured the private supply of liquor be-
longing to a citizen who had no connection with the
banquet. It created quite a furore. The federal of
fcer who had exceeded his authority was supplanted
by one who better knows how to remain within the
law. Since that occurrence there has been much said
in public meetings and in the press. Members of the
Massachusetts delegation in congress have even taken
the question up and the Worcester Telegram speaks
thus:
1.-THE Hon. James A. Gallivan, who represents the
twelfth Massachusetts, district in the congress Of the
United States, contemplates the eighteenth amend
ment, the Vostead act and prohibition in general,
whercafter he writhes and in a high, clear voice calls
upon anybody-sincere prohibitionists included-to
deny unto him that the last two years have been hell
Hardly that A large number of people seem to be
well satisfied. Confirmed prohibitionists, of a vintage
fnitely better off. Sincere drinkers are perfectly con-
tent as to the continuance of opportunity, although it
has to be admitted they deprecate the increase in price
and the deterioration in quality. Bootleggers swiftly
acquire the financial standing which means prominent
citizenship. Social strugglers attain the desired posi-
ton by achievement of the surreptitious cocktail and
the synthetic highball. Folk who wish to drink drink
as much as ever, and folk who wish to say that nobody
shall drink have .he pride ana pleasure Of saying SO.
''The only seriously unhappy contingent seems to be
represented by the prohibition enforcement crew.
They brawl among themselves nl the time. Mr.. Will
son has hardly stilled his outcries that Mr.. Potter pre-
vented him from turning Massachusetts, into a land of
milk and honey (unfermented honey when Mr.. Rob-
erts leans to the fore with loud shouts that Commits
sioner HAYNES thwarts justice and morality when he
says Mr.. Potter can't have Mr.. Keefes confscated
hootch. The prohibition people are SO busy calling
one another corrupt that even the. blind tigers can see
they haven't much energy left for anything else.
"But after all, this little disturbance is trifing. We
are as well off as either of the other nations which has
plunged into prohibition. Russia was one of them.
Russia put down vodka-or stopped p%utting it down.
If you prefer it that way. and look at the place now!
Then there is Turkey. Through religious conviction
Turkey has been prohibition for a good many years:
it was, in fact, the first nation to display the merits
Of the theory. But nobody would deny we are better
off than Turkey; not even Armenian residents who
have enjoyed previous experience under Turkish
morality.
"The Honorable Gallivan goes too far. The past
two years have not been hell He'll is yet to come.
The Honorable Gallivan simply does not understand
the perhaps, but still the con-
viction-of his country. Which is to the effect that
you don't. need public sentiment and public conscience
to insure the maintenance of a moral law. Merely
plenty of cops"