The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-11-11
TaE REDWOOD GAZETTE. REDWOOD FALls, MINNEsorA
AS TO PROHIBITION
(Mayor Arthur E. Nelsonl

Prohibition is great experience
n social control. The object is to
improve the social fabric by abolish
ng intoxicating liquor, and it is in
tended to abolish intoxicants because
It has been the uniform experience
of mankind that the use of intoxi-
eating liquor is detrimental to So
ciety and because we have learned
that there is no way of compromising
with this evil. 1t must be dug up
by the roots and cast forth.
This is the theory on which Ameri-
ca adopted the Eighteenth amend
ment. 1t was not done out of any
medddlesome desire to uplift individ-
uals. 1t was done in the belief that
| such a step had become essential to
the welfare of society, and tho there
has been persistent criticism of the
propriety of such an interference with
personal liberty, it must be perfectel
obvious that whenever society con-
ceives that anything essential to its
we'll being is at stake there can be no
question of it's obligation to act,
whether the offender be opium, war
or alcohol 1t is mistake to talk
about personal liberty when the true
issue is social liberty
AS an experiment in social control,
however, prohibition is without pre-
cedent. 1t involves the changing OF
the personal habits of large part Of
the population. To have attempted
so great a transformation in the first
place required a fine courage, to ac-
+ complish the transformation will test
che courage, loyalty and determine
ton of the country as it has. never,
been tested before outside of occas-
ions of direct and immediate peril
No intelligent friend Of prohibition
ever supposed that this reform would
be work overnight. That it would re-
quire time, occupied with unremitting
effort and education, was fully fore
seen. Prohibition has now been in
force less than six years. Surely it
is no cause for encouragement if in
six years it has not Eeen possible
completely to root out an evil which
was not discounted in ands. Moth
ing has happened which was not dis
counted in advance. Prohibition is
not failure. 1t is in fact enough
of a success to inspire one with per-
feet confidence for the future. The
first perilous half decade has been
passed. Henceforth the way should
be increasingly easy.
1t is not a question of marshaline,
majorities for or against the law
1t is a question of creating preponder-
ant, overwhelming public opinion in
favor, not of an abstraction, such IS
obedience to the law, but of the high
ly concrete thing known as prohib;-
ton. For in the long run, no law
affecting personal habits can be sub
stantially enforced which does not
command the loyalty and active SUI
port of a great majority of the pub
lie. Any large portion of the popu-
lation even if by actual count it fall
short of majority. can effectively
prevent complete enforcement.
Enforce the law to the limit of the
governments power, but in the mean
time do aot forget that the. heart OF
the whole problem lies in public opin.
ion. Punish the bootlegger, but a.
SO destroy him by reaching the mind
of the man who buys his product
What is needed is vigorous cam
paign of public education-and less
propaganda.-St. Paul Pioneer Press.