Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-06-28
PRESIDENT To SET
NATIONAL EXAMPLE
SAUNS STIMULATES
By DAVID LAWRENCE
Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
lCnnrrirht 1909 l -

NNOpJLlSHt, 1O-O'J
.RAWLINS, Wyo., June 27.-
President Harding has become a
total abstainer. He meant literally
the speech he delivered at Denver
appealing to the people of America
10 give up strong drink even though
their stocks were acquired lawfully
before the e. hteenth amendment
and Volstead act were adopted. Mr..
Harding, it was learned today, feels
very deeply that as chief executive
of the nation he should set an eX-
ample of restraint, although there
is no law against drinking liquor
one has acquired legally and Mr.
Harding violated no law in taking
an occasional drink in the White
House.
1t has become known that in the
last several months the president
has refused gifts from close friends
and has told them he meant to con-
form to the implications of the law
as well as it's specific Obligations
Since lthe Harding Administered on
began no liquor ever has been
served at the table for official
guests. There has been some gossir
that personal friends would drop in
at the White House or meet the
president at the golf links, and offer
a drink from a flask very much as
might happen in the offices of sena
tors and representatives, but while
Mr.. Harding, since early Marion
days. has enjoyed a sociable drink.
he has had no regret about prac-
ticing self-denial, for he seems to
believe the greater good to be &C.
compisheG nationally by strict oh
servance of prohibition more than
makes up for the indulgence.
Feels Class Rivalry
Close reading of the presidents
speech at Denver will reveal that ne
feels very keenly the rivalry or
classes in America; the resentment
of the working people over the fact
that the rich can get all the liquor
they want, irrespective of price
What Mr.. Harding realizes of course
is that there always will be avail
able, through one channel. or an
other, some supply from sources
that cannot be stopped to the
wealthy. Mr.. Harding appeals IN
the hope that they voluntarily Will
abstain from violating the law IN
purchasing liquor and that they
either will destroy what they have
or fail to renew their supply When
it is exhausted.
The president says the very Sc
curity of American institutions de-
pends on the attitude the wealthy
folks of the land take toward, the
Volstead law. If one law can pc
ignored. and an amendment held IN
he fears the whole Struc-
ture will collapse. AS for himself
the president has taken the matter
to heart, and while the public
hasn't known it, nevertheless it is
a fact that for some time Mr..
Harding has been abstaining and
that he means to keep his house
hold dry and will refrain even
when away from the White House
from accepting the invitations OF
friends or their gifts.
Believer in Prohibition
Mr.. Hardings sense of increased
responsibility has been no sudden
development, his intimates say. he
has been gradually coming to the
conclusion that the sooner unlvef-
sal prohibition actually is practlced
the better will it be for the moral
fibre Of the nation ana the SoOllel
will come those notifications in eX-
isting law that the people shall de-
sire. His own prediction is that the
longer prohibition is in effect the
greater the likelihood that the
changes in the law will be in the
direction Of effective enforcement
rather than relaxation, but even II
the sentiment of the nation were
to swing to a 275 per cent beer,
he chances are that such a change
would follow a period of absolute
drought so far as strong drink is
Instead of an era of continued
bootlegging of whisky, that seems
to be the trend of the presidents
mind at present. SO long as the
Volstead law , is on the statute
books the president himself will set
the example of the nation in re-
training from accepting any pre-
drink or any other from
his friends in the intimacy of the
White House circle, for Mr.. Har
ding has taken the pledge, not in
written form, but with his con-
science and the time may not be
far off when he will appeal to the
,,a +iorn tO do likewise