The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-07-05

American city today sober if he will.
He neither sees the saloon sign nor
smells the stencil of the barroom nor
the saturated sawdust floors. The
familiar saloon door is not swinging
inward to engulf our men, nor out
ward pouring forth a stream of
drunkenness and misery into Ameri-
can home life, and this is a new dav.
This does not mean that some old
drunkards, unwilling to reform, can
Not find liquor if they hunt. 1t does
mean that the saloon is no longe,
hunting down those who want to quit.
but there is a world of difference be-
tween having to hunt evil and hay
ing evil hunt you down when you are
trying to escape.
Millions of excessive drinkers have
stopped. All of us know some of them
who have not taken a drop of intoxi
eating liquor since Prohibition went
into effect. Their names are not in
the newspapers, they are making no
sensation, but they are living at home
paying their bills and in many in
stances their old debts. They bring
their pay checks to their wives every
Saturday and instead of going out to
the saloon and drinking and gambl-
ing it away alone, they go down with
mother and the children" to do their
shopping and throng the stores of
Saturday afternoons.
+ These are exceptions. There are
some who are drinking hair-tonic.
wood alcohol, or any connection to
make them think they are getting
around the law and beating the gov
eminent, but let US remember that
this class is not the product Of Pro-
hibi1on. They are the Ieftovers from
the old saloon days, and that they will
not be here much longer. The stuff
they are taking will soon end the
story Prohibition has led out of
temptation and delivered from evil
those who wanted to be.
1t has been a marvellous financial
success. We used to spend two and
CONGRATULATIONS of dollars every
year for drink in America. When the
war was over it was found in every
European country including England
and France, that the drink bill had
doubled since the outbreak Of the
world war. Our bill would have
doubled also, owing to the break
down Of standards and we would have
been spending five billions Of dollars
year for grog, Just as the cigarette
habit multiplied itself during the
way. Prohibition came in the provi-
| dental nick Of time and saved us this
great waste. It turned certain two
and onc-half billions and probably
five billions out of the waste Of the
brewers vast corruption funds into
the legitimate channels Of trade and
hco. every business as usual in
stead Of permitting the financial col
lapse and hard times thai they have
mad in England, France, Italy and
Germany, a. the result of the war.
Prohibition saved America from
what came RS e. crash upon every
other country ana that financial ad-
vantage ought to be remembered to
the credit Of the Eighteenth Amend
mcnt.
lastly II hos ro,-o7,+ion.7od t7,o
social crs+o,rs Of A, ,,a,;os ,n4 WV
customs or yours. We have drunk lust
as much liquor in the three wears
since Prohibition as in the +bir+v
years before. but the customs among
the drinking classes, in the homes Of
the poor. in the circles that have
been deeply affected by what father
does and how brother spends his
money-these have been revolution
lied.
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