The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-05-19
THE GREAT GAME OF
POLITICS.
BARRIERS AND BOOZERS
BY FRANK R. KENT.

1t is interesting the number of diff
ferent angles from which the prohi-
bition issue, the only one, we are told,
in which the people are really con-
cerned, can be viewed. Take for ex-
ample the viewpoint of the barber on
one of the crack deluxe railroad trains
running between St. Louis and the
East. BARRIERS as a rule are reason
ably intelligent fellows with a tend
ency to talk politics. This one was
above the average and with the ten
dency well developed.
One day last week on the way East
he conversed with a customer as fol-
lows: "Sure, l like drink just like
the rest of you, but Pm politically dry
just the same, although prohibition is
dead against my business interests.
If we had liquor in this country and
on this train the way we used to have
it l could make three to five times as
much money at this job as l make
now. Give any ordinary man two or
three drinks and he's rich. Right
away lot of them begin to feel like
Rockefeller. AS soon as they get
tight they don't care no more for a
dollar bill than they do for an oak
leaf. If we had liquor these days my
tips would quadruple. Men would pile
on this train after a hard night, OF
start in to liquor up in the club car
and then come in here to get fixed up.
When they get through they would
toss me dollar bill or say Keep the
change from five spot and go out
feeling big as battleship.
Last week l had fellow in here
tanked right up to the eyeballs. He
threw his arms around my neck and
sang like crow with the Group till he
went to sleep in the chair. After
got through with him he got up and
handed me three fve-dollar bills.
didn't want to take it and says to
him: Hold on, friend, amt you over
stepping bit?' He rammed the stuff
in my pocket, sang some more and
begged me to go in to lunch with him
You get one like that once in while
now and if it wasn't for prohibition
we'd get lot of 'em.
"But honest, it amt worth it-not
to me anyway. You may think I'm a
sort of damn fool but it amt worth
it. l don't make much more than a
living at this and the extra money
would come in pretty good, but look
what you got to put up with. When
l get man in the chair l like to do a
good job on him and l like some
sensible conversation. Generally |
get it. He gives me a chance to talk
and sometimes he tells me something
and we can have a little argument
over politics or something. l know it
amt good business and maybe there
amt many BARRIERS like me, but I'd
rather get ten-cent tip from an
agreeable customer that didn't have a
crouch than fifty cents from a liberal
drunk that blew a stale breath in nv
face, beat me on the back, tried to
break up the furniture or went to
sleep in the chair. The way l look at
1T there is something to this business
besides the size of the tips.
81 live in New York and Pm a Re-
publican. / vote for AL Smith all
right when he runs for Governor, but
l amt going to vote for him on no
wet platform for President-and
that's fiat. l know it's easy to get
hooch in New York and st. Louis and
lot of other places now, but it amt
as easy as it might be and | don't be-
lleve in making it no easier. It's ex-
penslve and the stuff amt good and
it's lnconvenient to carry it around.
The talk about there being more
drinking now than there was before
Prohibition is the bunk and everybody
with any sense knows it.
Il amt exactly dry and while |
don't want it made any easier to get
liquor | don't believe I want it made
any harder. What's all the hollering
about anyhow? Things suit me all
right. People who have got to have
their liquor, or think they have, can
get it all right, but it amt around
every corner or on every train or at
your elbow everywhere you turn
which certainly keeps it away from a
lot of fellows who won't take the
trouble or pay the price. When I'm
off in New York like to slip around
and look up few. I like to feel rich
too, but I don't do much of it. 1t costs
too much and carting bottle around