The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-05-18

are even aware that they are .''con-
| Stunning alcohol" Their impression
is that they are drinking beer.
It's All in the Point of View
At the beginning Of my discussion
I will, therefore, preface a few Eek
act facts and statistics" for the use
of geographical societies, Leaned
bodies and government commissions.
The quality of beer consumed in
England in a giveI period is about
| 200, 900, 900 gallons. The life of a
bottle of Scotch whisky is v
seconds. The number of public
houses, or pubs" in the English
countryside is one to every half mile.
The percentage of the working
classes drinking beer is 1926; the
percentage of the class without work
drinking beer is 200.
Statistics like these do not, how
ever, give a final answer to the ques-
ton: "Is prohibition coming to Eng
land?" They merely show that it is
not there now.
The question itself will be an
swered in as many different ways as
there are different kinds Of people.
Any prohibitionist will tell you
that the coming of prohibition to
England is as certain as the coming
eclipse of the sun. But this is al
ways So. 1t is in human nature that
people are impressed by the cause
they work in.
I knew once a minister Of the
Scotch church who took a voyage
round the world; he said that the
thing that impressed him most was
the growth of Presbyterianism in
Japan. No doubt it did. When the
Orillia, Ontario, lacrosse team took
their trip to Australia, they said on
their return that lacrosse was
spreading all over the world.
In the same way there is said to
be a special all w the world of
proportional representation, militar-
ism, peace sentiment, barbarism,
altruism, psychoanalysis, and deaths
from wood acohol. They are what
are called world movements.
The Misunderstood Scotch
My W judgment in regard to
prohibition in the British Isles is
this: In Scotland prohibition is not
coming; If anything, 1t is going. In
Ireland prohibition will only be in
troduced when they have run out of
other forms of trouble. But in Eng
land / think that prohibition could
easily come unless the English reo-
pie realize where they are drifting
and turn back.
They are in the early stages Of the
movement already.
Turning first to Scotland, there is
no fear, I say, that prohibition will
be adopted there, and this for the
simple reason that the Scotch do not
drink. ! have elsewhere alluded to
the extraordinary misrepresentation
that exists in regard to the Scotch
people and their sense of humor. I
find a similar popular error in re-
gard to the use Of whisky by the
Scotch. Because they manufacture
the best whisky in the world, the
Scotch, in popular fancy, are often
thought to be addicted to the drink
ing of it.
This is purely a delusion. During
the whole of two or three pleasant
weeks spent in lecturing in Scotland,
I never on any single occasion saw
whisky made use Of as a beverage.
l have seen them take it, of course,
as a medicine, or as a p~recaution, or
as a wise Offset against a rather
treacherous climate. But as a hev-
erage, never.
The manner and circumstance of
their offering whisky amply illus
trate their point Of view toward it.
Thus at my first lecture in Glasgow,
where I was to appear before a large
and fashionable audience, t,he chair
man said to me in the committee
room that he was afraid there might
be a draft on the platform.
Here was a serious matter. For
a lecturer who has to earn his liv-
ing by his occupation, a draft on the