Evening star., 1923-10-14
Obedience and Enforcement
r. Prohibition Issue Keynotes

4 their corporation with the officials
| who are sincerely striving to enforce
laws; and, finally, that the rule OF
the majority ultimately may become
spden shs meshoa the Of s ye9us tSae the oyer
| whelmifg majority of the people OF
the United States are not only law
abiding, but unchangeably opposed
to violation Of law.
I was not for the prohibition amend
| ment when II was pending, for rea-
sons that have nothing to do with
the case now that it is a part of the
Constitution, but I am for the amend
! ment now. for the laws enacted un-
der II and for strict observance and
strict enforcement Of prohibition. o.. II
rather goes against the grain of my
citizenship that some of the men who
forced this reform are among its con-
slant violators. 1T annoys me to hear
II suggested that we ought to loosen
up the Volstead act so as TO permit
the loeseners are habitual users OF
scotch whisky who never tasted
either beer or light wine in their
lives. Their kick against prohibition
Is to get kick in their stomachs
Undoubtedly they are seeking an en-
teripg wedge.
Really / do not understand some OF
the arguments that are being advanc-
ed. I am told. for instance. that there
is more drinking now than there ever
was before prohibition. This strong
ly doubt. II II is so. the sale OF
cloves, spices and other breath sweet
eners must have kept pace with the
sale OF liquor. Poverty and politics
have made OF me a peripatetic
aoosierr;; ! sing with great faith
Kindly Light, Amid the Encirciing
Gloom: Lead, Thou, Me On" I move
from one part of the country to an
other. making what 1 hope is an hon
est living. l used to see hundreds of
| men partly or wholly intoxicated. The
i Pullman cars reeked with liquor.
Drunken brawls everywhere I went
were not unusual. All this has
changed. according to my observation.
In 50.0ae miles travelled the last three
years have seen but one man that
believed was intoxicated. / have seen
| no fight; / have rarely detected the
odor of intoxicating liquor. Some few
persons may be drinking more than
they did before the amendment, but
j most people are drinking less. My
view Is that most persons are not
drinking at all.
y X y
i am told in other quarters that
there should be a loosening up Of the
law because every one is getting all
to drink that they want, anyway.
This argument is unique, but 1t does
not appeal to me-in fact, II runs
counter to my own experiences in
life. Whenever I can get all I want
of what 1 want / do not waste my
time in trying to find out whether
the other fellow desires what / de-
sire and In, engaging in a crusade
to provide him with it If he does
The law of my life has been to let
the fellow who does not have and
cannot get what he wants make
known the fact that he desires ii
and is unable TO secure il, and TO
This concerns neither the ad-
visibility nor fnadvisabiIity OF the
prohibition amendment. 1t is not
passing upon the good or the evil in
tition of tho Lords Prayer of de-
mocracy. 1t Is a feeble call for law
observers and law enforcers, a sug-
gestion that self-government can en-
dure only so long as the Individual
point out the danger Of permitting
those who constantly violate law
70 be the moving factor In Its alter
alton or repeal. I believe it to be
the right Of free people to alter
and reform their government, but a
law must be observed and enforced
befere il is attacked. Whenever the
citizenship Of this country shall be-
come iaw-abiding, then II may open
discussion of tho advisabflity OF
changing its laws. i am hoping that
the washington conference viii ap-
proach prohibition not from the
moral standpoint, but from the
standpoints Of law obedience and Law,
enforcement.
copyright. 1923, 2lst Century Pressl