The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-10
Exceedingly '"'Umble"
About His Country

The New York Times Book Review
of January 22d, has a review by Rich
ard Le Gallienne Of "Dry. America, ,
by one Mike Monahan.
We do not know whether Mr. Mona.
han is kin to Mr.. Finnagin, but we do
know that he is off again.
What strikes us Is that Mike Is
awfully humble about his country
which he calls "There Benighted
States"
In his opinion we are all badly hen
pccked. "a nation may be ruled by
its women, but it can only be defended
ly it's men," How fortunate that we
will have Mike to defend US even if
we are not worth defending.
Michael says: Congress is com.
posed mainly of women and epicenes
with n scattering of men,"
He attributes the success of pro-
hibition to feminism and parsos, these
latter forming narrow, ignorant
chapel theocracy, as Mr.. lie Gallienne
says in his review. It seems that he
also thinks that these chapeltes have
designs on tho Church of Rome. Really
we cannot plead guilty to it for if
there is any Romanist church that has
not been able to get enough wine for
its mass we do not know where it is
located.
Mr.. Monahan says that in Cali
fornia "women have suffrage and the
men have prohibition" Also, fortu-
nately, the men have the women.
Mr.. Monahan emphasizes the opin-
ion, which he attributes to Europe,
that we are culturally, in a very
primitive and backward state" add
ing that eve are a mediocre people.
In palmer words, we lack true
culture and sanity of mind which can
not exist without it. These things are
the gift of the classic tradition, which
is without root in our land"
The spectacle of uncultured Amer
leans pussyfooting to Europe to
spread prohibition makes Mike crawl
under the chair from which place of
vantage he declaims:
"And what nerve, if you please!
Or shall we not rather call it the
sublimation of pure gall and impu.
dence? A people that has about
reached the Fourth Reader stage of
culture, without genius or art tradi-
tion or achievement in the higher
realms of the mind to undertake to
save by Salvation Army methods the
most variously gifted and highly civ
ilized nation of Europe-the home OF
art, the capital of civilization, the
nursery of all the rarer forms of hu-
man genius! Are we licensed by our
superabundant dollars to thrust our
ignorance and fanaticism, unasked
upon the amiable French people quite
competent as they are to take care OF
themselves? Can you imagine prop
osition more gorgeously absurd-one
that more colosally certifies the ma
tional cheek? 1t is really quite too
hyperbolical The coun-
try that rejoices in the literary art
of Harold Bell Wright as its most
successful exhibit in kind that is vir-
tually without living representation
in the first rank of any art or SCI
ence to give lessos to France with her
unfailing heritage of genius! Yam
kce Puritanism to conduct a Dry-or-
be-Damned campaign among the po-
lite and temperate French, who as
Anatole France well says, have the
virtue of moderation in their bones.'"
Coming right down to brass tacks
this kind of abuse of the United States
indicates the unAmerican nature Of
the anti-prohibition campaign. OF
course, in the case of Michael, it may
be that his remarks are due TO the
inability to digest home brew, but
this is not so Of the majority of the
ti-prohibitionists. They are against
prohibition because they are against
America. They think Plymouth Rock
should have landed on the Pilgrims
instead of the Pilgrims landing or
Plymouth Rock. jamestown and all
that proceeded from it, is, in their
opinion, blot on history. They will
never be satisfied until they drown ev.
erything that is really American ir
America under floods Of "liberal" i'm.
migration; until all that smacks OF
Washington, Franklin, jefferson, Lin.
coin, Lee and Frances Willard is driv.
en- out of American life.
Eoheuaru Garden Rexnsndera