Gunnison news-champion., 1922-12-29
WHO IS TO
Be BLAMED?
(By Hersehel T. ManueD
Gunnison, Colo, Dec q, :.

Your editorial IN the last issue Of
I the SsWs-Champion entitled: -Whis-
key Did H." Is true and timely. The
sentiment expressed there is echoed
IN the minds and hearts Of all good
and discerning people II is gratIfy-
tsng 70 find such straightforward and
I fearless expression Of fact in the face
Of a Sell-finane.d and nationwide at
tempt 20 break down the Law and con-
slItgtI0n-
You have well stated WHAT did
It." II you will allow me. | should
like 10 carry the discussion which you
have 20 admirably begun, step furth-
er by asking, WHO Is TO blame
Z MhIskey does not appear, Of course,
and get into circulation by its own
efforts Ultimately the responsible
- IL a personal one.
Some vail doubtless say that the
illicit distiller and his sales agent the
bO0tleggcr, are to blame. To. a GER
tam extent TINS is true; anf>ihese
yiolators Of the law must be held 10
strict accountability. The poor fool
who sells his own and his neighbor's
soul al so much a quart must pay the
penalty. IL is disgusting 10 see that
cheap, silly sentimentalIty that rushes
To the defense of any criminal just
as soon as he is caught, and tha; hast
ems 10 jeer at persons who make it
possible for these worse-than-bandits-
and -highwaymen To be brought into
court. As matter of fact, we need
very much more of the stern hand
Of justice than we now see.
On the other hand, there would be
no bOotleggers il there were not
market for his wares. The person
who buys or consumes is. indeed, a
partaker in the crime, be he high or
low, rich or poor, male or female, na-
tive citizen or alien, church member
or pagan.
The pity Of i, is that many who were
considered respectable citizens are
numbered in the list of buyers and
consumers. These people, If they only
know il, are doing more than are the
bootleggers to break down law and
order. to corrupt the youth, and to
give their community a bad name.
For il is they who tend TO make the
boOtlegger's crime semi-respectable,
and it is they whose support must be
had II any law is TO be more than
dead letter. One of the first essen
tlals all over this land in the enforce
. tIlfIlN bl ID
or less than reform among respectable
citizens both men and women, who
ought to and who do know better than
TO partake of the vile stuff peddled
around by few outcasts.
Again, il will be said that the of
ficers are 10 blame. In answer TO
officer who neglects his duty in this
not l. ,g.alf
when he takes his oath of office, but
is ar accessory to the crimes which
he does nothing To prevent. Such an
officer, If he has any self respect at
all. would better get out and beg for
living than take the peoples money.
This may be stating it BADLY, but it
is the truth.
However, an officer is servant an
agent of the people. II is principle
well established in law that person
is responsible for the acts OF his agent
We are forced back, therefore to the
same proposition again: the citizens
of community are to blame.
II one is willing to face the real
facts, there has been relatively little
explicit demand for the enforcement
of prohibition. To be sure, few
have shown openly some concern, but
the majority of good citizens have
been lukewarm. Even ardent fighters
for the law seemed TO think that, once
il had passed, it would take care of
itself. Many of us are victims of a
very insidious propaganda. The pub
lie mind has been deliberately and
Systematically poisoned until two pro-
nounced delusions tas they are called
in cases of insanity have resulted:
"a that prohibition is mistake with
reference to drinks of moderate al
coholic content; and (2) that prohibit
ton cannot be enforced even approxi-
mateiy. So, suffering from these de-
lusions a large section of the general
public has been in doubt; and in the
meantime those who are financially in
terested have taken advantage Of the
situation to create our local and ma
tional scandal.
In other words the chief difficulty
in the enforcement of prohibition is
not that the law is wrong or unen-
forceahe but that the people have
been fooled into wrong way of think
ing about it.
They seem to have forgotten that
the liquor traffic has never voluntarily
submitted to regulation. Certainly up
on furthur reflection they cannot agree
to go back to the old order. Nor can
it be shown that the LEGAL sale of
beer and light wines would stop the
illegal sale of distilled drinks-on the
contrary it would INCREASE that
sale. When man drinks beer and
wines he soon gets to the place where
he failA. TO get from them the kick
which his depraved appetite Graves.
The surest way to develop new gen.
Grafton of hard drinkers is to bring
them up on beer and wine. Let US
not forget that.
If the respectable citizens of the
community want the law enforced,
there are ways IN get IL dome Now