The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-08-21
Prohibition Cannot Be
Enforced Under Present
Capitalist Social Order
BY j. LOUIS ENoDAHL.

CALVIN COOLIDGE resents the
~ charge that he has ordered the
prohibition authorities to stop their
poisoning of alcohol as a measure
for instituting bone dry prohibition
in the United States Of America. He
has asked the horde of capitalist
newspaper reporters who hover
about the summer white House" at
Paul Smiths, New York, to correct
the error.
The president thereby goes on rec
ord in favor of poisoned moonshine
to kill off all who cannot resist
drinking illicit booze. 1t is the Coo
lidge-Volstead Interpretation of the
theory of the survival OF the fittest
as applied to the wet or dry" prob
lem.
The aim Of the government is to
provide an alcoholic mixture for
commercial purposes, out of which
1t will be impossible to eliminate the
poison by redistilling. The deadliest
of the many formulas in the posses
sion of the government for "com-
pletely denatured alcohol is known
as Formula No. 1" and is as fol-
lows:
100 parts by volume Of ethyl
alcohol, not less than 100 degrees
proof.
Ten parts by volume approved
wood alcohol.
FlVe-tenths part by volume APP
proved benzlne (kerosene).
1t is declared that this formula is
the governments pet among the So
called "seven deadly sisters" The
government chemists claim that re-
distilling will not eliminate the
poison that turks in every ounce. of
this death-dealing fluid.
Thus the powerful capitalist gov
eminent resorts to the usual frantic,
Intellectual remedy for the alcohol
problem, just as it seizes on other
makeshift remedies for .other ills,
fake clre-alls that will not interfere
in the least with the profiteering and
the exploitation that gave it life.
1t is not surprising that here. as
elsewhere, it is the workers who are
the victims, as in the recent whole
sale poisoning at Buffalo, N. Y.
Deaths for 1926 from alcoholic poi
soning are expected to reach start
ling totals, with these "undertaker's
cocktails" continuing to fill the
graveyards in 1927.
Victims will be drawn from the
working class because the rich have
the money to buy booze without
"sure death" label. They can hire
casters" if necessary. In the words
of the humorist, Irwin S. Cobb, who
was caught at Joyce Hawley's bath
tub party, Il never drink from a
bottle unless it is already half
empty"
Poison bootleg booze is being sold
because there is money in it. Arthur
Brisbane, editorial writer for Hearst,
laments that one United States coast
guard, paid less than a chauffeur's
wages, got one bride of 100000 for
being a rum runner" when boot
logging can afford to pay such fees"
says Brisbane, "how much govern
ment money will 1t take to stop
bootlegging?" Because the liquor
business is a rich source of profits
is one of the big reasons why it can
not be rooted out under the capital
ist society that protects and breeds
profits.
The attention of all workers and
farmers, the victims of capitalism,
is therefore called to the section of
the Workers (Communist) Party's
congressional program. published in
full in this issue, devoted to this
question of prohibition. II states
the attitude the workers must take
towards this vital question, just as it
cate fCrfh ha oOI,tfto.. 90 al okLo.