The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-03-10
this WRITER ACCURATELY
DIAGNOSES THE DISEASE
The Booze Complex" Is Not Only A
Phrase But A Fact, just As Is The
Dry Complex And The FanaticaI
Complex.

To The Editor Of The Sun-Sir:
1t is pleasure to acknowledge my
Indebtedness to Samuel c. Blythe for
fine phrase. For years l have puz-
zled over the question, What is the
matter with the editor Of The Sun?
He seems to be sane on most subjects
but as soon as he touches the LIQUOR
problem he seems to lose all power to
reason, all idea of proportion and all
sense Of humor?" Now along comes
Blythe in this weeks Saturday Eve
ning Post with his diagnosis With
keen pen, he describes the symptoms
daily displayed by The Sun and calls
it The Booze Complex" Some
phrase that
Listen to how he describes it:
THE simpler of the reactions of this
booze complex is conversational talk.
From this limitless chatter, the man
ifestations range up through protest
evasion, disregard of law, breaking
OF it, excess, credulity that is amaz-
ing, profigacy, downright dishonesty
and the complete loss of ethical
standards; and the most amazing
phase of it is that inconsequent spirit
OF it all"
Ii the ordinary fellow who cannot
talk about anything but booze has
the booze complex, it seems to ne
after a rather careful reading of your
editorials on the subject, that you
40 not have the plain or garden va
riety, but a sort of synthetic EOOZe
Compound Complex" Anything less
would not sufficiently describe your
trouble, especially after the last two
horrendouS editorials on the right
eOusnesS OF putting an unconstitu-
tional referendum on the Prohibition
Enforcement bill. OF course, the
fact that such a rider would kill the
bill in the courts did not seem to you
to be any reason why the dryS should
not gratefully accept your advice;
but that sort of logic is one of the
symptoms of the booze complex.
Yours is indeed a sad case, and |
should be greatly alarmed, not about
you, but about the effect Oh the pub
lie mind, if l had not often observed
that you are not able appreciably to
affect public opinion on moral ques-
tons. Again, we have seen q Legis-
lature made up of men who, presum-
ably, read The Sun, paying no at
tentiOn to its booze admOnitiOns, but
passing the kind of an enforcement
measure their benighted constituents
demanded But still The Sun con-
tinues its diatribes. Loss of inf1u-
ence evidently is q small matter to
one with the booze complex.
Then this peculiar mental disturb
ance makes you hard to please. Years
age, when the counties were asking
| for the right of referendum so that
| they could protect themselves against
the saloon, you found many argu-
ments why the members of the Leg
islature should not delegate their
power to the people.
You said then that they were
elected to bear certain responsible
ties and they should be men enough
to stand against the clamor. Now
when the present Legislature for a
constitutional reason, refuses a
referendum on the question whether
Maryland shall enforce the national
law, you throw q fit.
Then when prohibition was being
slipped over as you like to say
Though Blythe says it was seen COM
ing for 70 years. you told US we
could not enforce it. Now when we
attempt to pass law with teeth in
it, you tell us We must not make 1t
too tight. Ono day you tell us the
bootlegger is overrunning the coun-
try, and when we want to pass a law
to put him out of business, you call
us fanatics and hyprocrites and other
choice names.
Blythe is right The booze COM
pleX is funny thing.
And now what will you do, if the
enforcement bill becomes q law?
Will you continue raving about a
column a day? l hope not. If you
feel the urge, l suggest that you hire
hail. 1 will be glad to help out on
the rent and open a lodge of Sorrow
in due and ancient form. To this
solemn convocation invite little
Tony Dimarco and the redoubtable
John Philip Hill and big Steve
Gambrill, who messed your fight
though you don't seem to know it.,
and Miss Risteau, and the other wet
brothers and sisters, and sob this
thing out. Rave on until you get
the last rave out of your system!
Let "Old Booze Complex" yell until
he loses his voice! Then come back
to the tripod and write sensible edl-
torials on other subjects, as you can
-, ut EpJTJTS