The Delta independent., 1922-09-22
purification. but it is bewildering to
those who see from afar.!

law is apparent to any one who will
merely use his eyes and ears in going
about. Travelling almost continuous
ly has been my habit for twenty years
and, for this reason. have had unus-
ual opportunities to observe, and to
observe has been my chief occupation
in life. From January to June %.
travelled constantly through all the
states east of the Mississippi River.
with the exception OF only ten days
rest. I was daily and nightly on
trains and in hotels, about the streets
at night constantly. only saw in all
that time. three drunken men. and
none OF these was incapable. Two of
these were in New York and one in
Washington. In the old times. one
could see as many drunks almost any
night in large city by merely walk
ing around the block from ones hotel.
About the middle OF January l was
riding on the train from Augusta. Ca.
to Columbia. s. c. AS stepped into
the smoking compartment. fat man
APPARENTLY recognized me. He was one
of those fat men whose head runs up
to a point and who could take his
shirt off without unbuttoning his col
lar AS I entered he began to groan.
'T don't know what this country is
coming~to. Since we got prohibition.
everything has been going to the dogs
Everybody is drinking. People who
never did drink are drinking. The
young people now are all drinking.
7 ho, x;,1
know what is going to become OF
them" he moaned. rolling his eyes to
Heaven like a sick chicken in a thun-
der storm.
Just then the train conductor enter
ed Recognizing me. he grasped my
hand. 'T want to say something to
you" he said Before we had prohi.
bition, It was my custom for twenty
years to conjure up some excuse to
get ten-day lay-off during the Christ
mas holidays to avoid the drunken
disorder and fighting that we used to
have on the trains During the past
two years. have not done this and
we have not had bit OF trouble. In
that time I have seen only one drunk
en- man and that was at Columbia.
| As the conductor left the car. I
/ turned to my fat friend and asked.
What do you think of what that man
said?"
"I have got to get out at this sta
ton" he replied. as look OF anguish
swept over his face.
A few days later. was riding on
the train from Asheville. N. c.. to
Knoxville. Tenn. AS we were going
through the toughest part Of the
mountains. the train conductor came
and sat down beside me.
''Do you know where we are right
now" he asked.
"No." was nv reply.
well" he said. "you are right in
the middle OF the worst moonshine
district in the United States. have
been travelling on this run for fifteen
. years and know what am talking
about. But the conditions now are a
prayer-meeting as compared to what
we had before we got prohibition.
lust wanted to tell YOU that" he con
cluded as he went to another part OF
the train.
The American people have spoken
in this matter and what has been said
has been said. America is going for
ward as a matter Of course. America
is no crab that travels backwards
The American people brought about
this change in our fundamental law
the most difficult constitution To
amend in all the. world. No amend.
ment to our constitution was ever
made with such a demonstration OF
popular approval. Forty-sIx Of the
forty-eight states ratified that instru
ment and the two that failed have al
ready enacted enforcement laws in
harmony with the volstead Act. As
a matter OF fact. every state legisla
ture with a single exception have al
ready taken this course. Every state
law that tried to legalize weak beer
has been repealed. The wet governor
has been replaced by a dry. The wet
legislature OF New Jersey has been
thrown into the scrap. dump and a
new one elected that is overwhelm
) ingly dry.
The vets have not won any impor
tant victory in a dozen years. They
have not won a victory In the United
States Supreme Court since the Orr
ginal Package decision of nearly forty
years ago. and that decision was
quickly remedied by an Act OF Con
gress. There are far fewer troubles
growing out Of the enforcement Of the
prohibition law than there was over
the law abolishing human slavery
Even yet. after nearly so years. we oc-
casionally hear of troubles growing
out OF "peonage" in the South, show.