Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-03
.S|L.z!ER ]! GIVES
WET PLATFORM
Comes Out With Light Wine
and Beer Plank in State
ment Today
Is WHlSKEY NATION
Says Present Prohibition Law
Has Produced Chaotic Con-
dition in Country

Declaring that the present proh:bi :
ton laws and the methods of en-
forcing them, have produced chao-
tic and unsatisfactory condition and
that one result of the present prohi-
bition law has been to make this a
nation of whiskey drinking people,
Judge George S. Silzer, a candidate
for governor in the Democratic
primaries today in a statement 10
the press, comes out in favor OF light
wines and beer. His statement fol-
lows:
Replying to many Inquiries as to
my views upon Prohibition, / am
glad to state what l have in mind.
In these days of crime waves,
of attacks upon our institutions
and of sneers at our heretofore
revered and honored Constitution,
only those who are anarchistic, or
who have distorted views could ad-
vocate non-enforcement of our fun
damentalA and statute laws.
There is already too much con-
tempt for law to encourage it fur.
ther by bringing all law into con.
tempt. There is but one course
open to US. and that is to enforce
all laws.
The present prohibition laws, and
the methods of enforcing them
have produced a chaotic and un-
satisfactory condition.
Probably the worst result has
been to make of this nation a
whisky drinking people. Many
men and women who never drank
before are now imbibers of hard
liquor. Even boys and girls are
indulging.
This seems to apply to all
classes of society. Whisky in
some form, good or bad. is ap-
parently available to any one who
wants it and has the means to buy
it, Its attraction lies in
doing something forbidden and in
smallness Of the package in which
it can be handled.
Beyond improving existing con-
ditions, the problem before us is
how to protect our children and
the generations to come-that is
what we are trying to solve.
Something must be done. for the
present situation is intolerable and
immoral. 1t seems unnecessary to
rehearse the complaint that it ia
vors the rich and discriminates
against the poor, or to detail the
other evils, because they are COM
mon knowledge-the subject of
discussion at every gathering.
This may be due largely to the
feeling that the law and its en-
forcement is against the people
rather than by the people. 1t Is
also due to the fact that the rem
edy has been applied in the wrong
fashion.
The effective method Of bringing
about so great a change in the
habits of d people is by education,
not prohibition.
Moral progress is made in the
wills and consciences of men, not
by coercion. Law follows rather
than precedes."
Legislation often fails, education
never does.
If we build up our moral and
physical consciousness into a fibre
that is strong, then we can resist
and so will become truly temper
ate.
Human nature is obstinate, and
resists when told it must or must
not. Education, on the other hand,
Is persuasive and compelling.
Education had already, before
he advent of prohibition accomp-
ished much. Beer was rapidly sup
planting hard liquors. The younger
were becoming con-
vinced that whiskey was bad for
them. Business men no longer IN
1ulged in it during business hours.
and workers had little or no taste
'or it. This self-imposed restraint
was bearing fruit.
There was a strong sentiment
against the saloon. This sentiment
was growing stronger day by day.
20 that at the present time there is |
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