Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-01

CONTINUED from First Page)
Prohibition is still a big issue. The
wind seems to be blowing wet and at
the next election the opinion Is that
Ontario will return to liquor, through
government control.
Weak Beer Dissatisfles.
At one time the theory was adj
vanced in Ontario that people didn't
really want to get drunk, but they
wanted TO be able to sit around in
public and drink light beer. This beer
should contain only enough alcohol
to make It palatable. but not enough
to intoxicate. So the famous a. beer
was tried. But as soon as 1T was
found that the beer wasn't intoxi-
eating, 1t fell into disrepute. 1t was
a total loss. A waitress in a Toronto
hotel will refer to it disparagtngly as
that four point -four stuff and rec
ommend buttermilk or iced tea. On
every hand in Ontario one hears talk
of bootleggers. of the rotten stuff they
sell, of the high quality and desirable
ity of prescription liquor, OF the nip
pocket flask, of the boys and girls
who drink and Of the best and most
efficient ways to elude the law. The
quietly brew their beer or order their
wines from a manufacturer. They
are yelling for their liquor. And,
boiled down, the only reason they
want their liquor is because the gov
erhment has said they can't have 1t.
In Ottawa the talk of prohibition
is not so loud. for Huh lies across
the border In wet Quebec. Liquor Is
so easy to get that stories OF how
one gets IL pail and fall fiat in the
telling. A man with a bottle of
Scotch is no longer a hero. A boot
logger instead of being a. social
necessity, is looked upon with sus-
picion. 1t is not eneumbent upon
man TO accept every drink that is
offered him, because he can pick and
choose his time for drinking.
In Ottawa there are no saloons. In
Ottawa there are few DRINKS. Every
thing is clean and hustling and bust
nesslike in Ottawa. In Hull there
are plenty of beer taverns, or beer
saloons. In Hull there are dives and
dirty, ill-Hghted streets. But one
should go easy in heapfng blame on
poor Hull. Imagine, If you can, that
Rosslyn, across the Key Bridge from
Washington, should suddenly so wet
and open beer saloons and maintain
stores for the sale of hard liquors.
A mighty trek would begin from the
District of Columbia, which would
put the bridge to a real test, and
overnight RoSSlyn would become the
mecca of thousands, who went there
with the sole purpose of getting tight.
And with this mighty caravan would
come the camp followers, women of
i'll fame. pickpoekets. confidence men
ae,ff nh
and find the easiest pickings among
those who are slightly picked.
Contrast Easy Then.
Washington, in contrast. would
shine in heavenly splendor. 1t would
be held up by prohibitionists as the
perfect example of the glorieS of
prohibition. But those whe went TO
Rosslyn would reply in fine and seer
ing scorn: Make it SO that we won't
have to go to Rosslyn for our liquor.
Instead of concentrating this safety
valve in one little place, scatter it
through town. Let us take our liquor
home and share it with the family
and YOU won't find us stocking up in
a Rosslyn beer hall. Make 1t SO that
we can have a drink when we want
it, and we won't rush to where we can
get II whether we want it or not.
For we are going to have liquor
despite what you think. And the
harder you make it for us
to get the harder we are going TO
try to get it. And when we get 1t,
we are going to make 1t worth while.
And then we come 10 Montreal:
Again the prohibition question has lost
its flavor. If the subject is brought
up there are cries of despair. because
people are sick and tired of talking
about it. The newspapers no longer
consider it as news. The story OF
nabbed bootlegger4 or the raid upon a
blind pig" Is no longer interesting,
and it is mercilessly cut to a stick.
The sentiment has turned against the
bootlegger and the blind pig. IL is
impossible to make heroes OF them
The man who Is seen drunk around
hotel or on the street, provided ne
looks otherwise respectable, IS at once
put down as a man from Ontario or
q Visiting American. The man who
staggers out Of beer tavern in his
working clothes is pitied rather than
enyied. Getting drunk is losing
it's status as a fashionable ac.
complishnent. After round of golf
a man orders his Tom Collins or high
ball from the waiter, who serves 1t
from a stock kept in his private
locker. He no longer calls the waiter
aside and winks at him and tips him
while the word goes out that Bill
Jones has a quart of good stuff and
Is going to open it, SO everybody rally
round.
Drinking in Montreal.
In Montreal the drys keep up their
sniping. and most of it is aimed at
the government. The government
has made liquor drinking respectable,
they say. The government has taken
LIQUOR drinking out of the saloon and
transferred it to the home. But the
government is supposed to represent
the will of the people. If the govern
ment up here in Canada does not meet
the will Of the people, it can be over
thrown overnight. As far as drinking
in the home is concerned-"It used to
be the case that a man, after q days
work, would stop into a saloon and
buy q drink on his way home. Then
he'd meet friends. and he would have
| to treat them and they'd treat him,
| and pretty soon the word would go
around at home that Fathers drunk
again, children. Come on, let's not
wait dinner any longer Today this
same man waits until he gets home if
he wants his highball before dinner.
And leave 1t to mother she's not go.
| ing to let him drape himself over the
Sidehoard and drink until he can't
and his way to the dinner table.
That explanation seemed logical
But the Quebec system at that is
tract thn qalnti0a af this yaxtYas tarnh.