San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-06
BECOMING MORALLY WEAK


That the present prohibition situation
in this country calls loudly for altera-
ton in some direction nobody will deny.
It is a notorious fact that there has never
been a law on the statute books which
is so generally disregarded. Perhaps
actively opposed" would be better de-
scription Of the situation. That this
floutine and contempt for one law is
steadily bringing the American people
into mental state where they are pay
ing less and less regard to other laws
is another matter on which there can be
very little difference of opinion.
Always and everywhere throughout
the centuries sumptuary laws have been
disregarded and it is probable that they
will always be treated in that way. What
ever NAV have been the occasion that
called them into being they have been,
generally speaking, unwise legislation.
No people upon whom they were fast
ened has ever taken kindly to them or
paid proper attention other observance.
The latest evidence in this country OF
the lessening of moral strength that is
being worked by the Volstcad law is to
be found in an article recently published
in the Insurance Press, prominent paper
devoted to the interests of ting insurance
business.
This publication announces the fact
that reflections by insurance companies
have increased fifty per cent since the
enactment of the Volstead law. This does
not mean any criticism OF the law in it
self but, according to the article pub
lishcd in the Insurance Press, it does
mean that there is more intoxication-
presumably among people who have
property TO insure-than formerly, and
generally speaking, the decadence Of
morals among the American people.
1t is claimed that statistics show that
the well-to-do are drinking more gener.
ally and more heavily than they ever
did before and are spending large sum:
of money for liquor. The middle classes
are, according othis story, drinking less
but what they get is of worse quality
What is called the foreign population" j;
said to.be drinking almost anything, witt
more or less serious effects"
OF course an increase in the number
of insurance reflections means that thu
managers of the insurance companies have
not the same faith in the public whost
property they formerly Insured as they
held before the coming of the presen
situation. They believe that people who's
property is insured are less likely thar
before to fulfill their portion of an in
surance contract and more liable Il
break it. In plain words they make tn
assertion that the present prohibitio
situation has so undermined the mora
strength of the American people tina
they are neither as capable nor as hon
orable as they once were.
This is a most serious indictment O
the public but there is little doubt tina
it is amply justified and will continu
to be justified more and more unless
remedy is found for the existing condi
tons.
The insurance people-some OF them
claim to see ray of hope in the predic
ton that the situation will right itse
within about ten years as the non-cor
fornlists to the Nolstead act will, by tina
time, have been killed off by bad liquo
This is a wretched hope, for if til
American people have in two yeaI
reached stage where their NOR;
fiber is becoming questionable, where wi
they be in ten years? There is no hop
in the theory advanced by the insuranc
optimists.
The real remedy is to be found
some alteration of present condition
either through the modification of II
Volstead act or in absolute enforceme1
regardless of consequences-and thos
consequences may be most serious
many ways.