San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-27
A DEPLORABLE CONDITION

Congressman Tinkham of Massachusetts,
who is something of an expert on sta
tistics has recently put forth some facts
regarding the so-called enforcement of
prohibition that are somewhat startling.
Mr.. Tinkham declares that Washington
is 1000 per cent more murderous than
London. He says that in 1922, there
occurred in London twenty-six murders,
in a population of 100000, whereas
there were reported in Washington. with
population of less than 100000, thirty
eight murders.
He also quotes from the official re-
port of the Washington superintendent
Of police, an official who is elected by
the district commission appointed by the
President, and that report shows that
whereas the federal capitals population
had increased little more than 81 per
cent from 1910 to 1923, murder increased
by 271 per cent. manslaughter go per
cent, assault with dangerous weapons
307 per cent, bigamy SO per cent, robbery
103 per cent, adultery 201 per cent, So
Letting prostitution 1850 per cent, main
tanning of nuisance $50 per cent, illegal
possession of liquor 700 per cent, trans
porting liquor 1904 per cent, and selling
LIQUOR 1919 per cent.
Mr.. Tinkham also asserts that Paris.
where there is virtually no restriction on
the sale of wines and liquors, is much
less drunken than Washington. In
Paris, with a population of 100000 in
1921. there were in 1923, 10000 arrests
for drunkenness, whereas in Washington
the number of arrests on this charge
appropriated 5000.
These figures are astounding and
prove, either that the American people
is the most 1awless of all the so-caIled
civilized nations or that there is no ado
quate machinery for the enforcement OF
law in the United States.
1t is of course, unfair to assert and
impossible to prove in concrete form
that prohibition is the direct cause OF
all the disregard for law that has been
shown of late years in America, but
there can be no doubt whatever that
there are millions of people in America
who have no respect for the Volstead
<hSt anu SliOW lOI II no more respect
than they actually feel. The law is
openly broken by people who would
never think of breaking any other law.
They have come to the conclusion that
it is fragrant violation of their per-
sonal rights and it will never receive
from them the consideration that other
laws will have. Those things are GER
tain. 1t is not possible to say that all
other crimes can be traced to the Vol
stead act except to show that their in
crease has been coincident with the pas
sage and life of the act.
The question naturally arises as to
the causes of this condition. On this
point Mr. Tinkham says:
among the foremost should be placed
the abdication of certain sects of tho
Christian church from their special direc-
ton and leadership and their assumption
of political and legislative domination.
This is particularly evidenced in the Dis
trict of Columbia by the erecting OF ex-
ponsivc buildings around the Capitol for
the avowed purpose of influencing legis-
htive action and by the maintenance Of
professional legislative agents. As re-
spect for the church and its teachings
decline, so must its authority over the