Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-30

SIrOnR.
Very strong. So strong that when
we talked with her the other day she
was planning to return to Detroit by
airplane from a convention of the
General Federation of Women's
Clubs at Grand Rapids.
No WOman'S convention, no impor-
tant club work In her vicinity would
ever try to get along without Mrs.
Fox For so years she has been the
acknowledged authority on parlia-
mentary law. has written book upon
it. and spends her time travelling
about the country teaching it to clubs
and to individual men and women.
Fewer People Drink"
Many a man who presides brilliantly
from the platform of this or that big
organization does so because he has
taken lessons from this keen little
woman, who began specializing in her
subject when the advance guards of
feminists were struggling with their
first meetings half a century ago.
''In the East" we said to Mrs. Fox.
''there is frequent disregard of the
dry law. Is it different in the Mid
weSt?"
Detroit" promptly replied our
hostess, whom the term "old lady"
would fit about as we'll as it would
Mussolini, is a border town. Wet
Canada is just across the ferry. and
] am quite aware that things go on!
I'm not asleep. / know what happens
around me.
But despite infractions of the
eighteenth amendment, fewer people
drink now than seven years ago.
could recite personal incidents by the
dozen and name persons socially prom
1nent to prove that many who were
heavy drinkers before do not drink
now, despite the common saying that
the rich can always get it.
''They cannot always get it conven-
iently. And it is not always safe to
drink what they can get. The mere
fact that it is harder to obtain liquor
nowadays. no matter what the loca-
ton of the city, works a. benefit.
find people don't like to take the
trouble. They finally give up. The
struggle, the risk and the price they
pay make it not worth while.'"
Respect for Laws.
Mrs. Fox has brought up two stall.
wart sons and has six husky young
grandchildren, three of each sex, all
being reared as she was, and her par
ents before. in strict teetotalism.
Does the prohibition law help edu-
cate the children of today to be the
abstemious citizens of tomorrow"
"Emphatically. yes" nodded our
hostess-everything she says and does
is mphatic-".because in this fast.
rushing era every child has a chance
to see the Importance of laws. The
first thing modern youngster learns
q 10 ri
traffic regulations. They are almost
born in automobiles!
Every parent who has conscience
explains that all laws are to be re-
spected for safety's sake, and that obe-
dience to the mandates of the Consti-
tuition is patriotism. The vast major
tty Of citizens are law abiding, and
obey the dry law along with speed
laws and property laws and set the
example for their children"
We got onto the thin ice of statistics
by quoting figures on juvenile delin-
Quency such as influence Judge Jean
Norris of New York, Mrs. Aida de
Acosta Root of the Child Health Asso-
citation and others who oppose prohi-
bition. But Mrs. Fox flung up both
hands:
II tell you, figures mean nothing"
she tipped. ''The publicity of the
vets is we'll organized. Violations of
the dry law are played up while the
benefits of prohibition are hushed and
figures twisted to deceive.
Says Results Talk.
''T!e last election. for example, was
heralded as wet victory. The day
after election California was blazoned
As wet by 100000 votes. Yet the fact
was that its law-enforcement code was
upheld by a majority Of 63,617. The
hrst tweO news was published every
where, even cabled abroad. The true
facts appeared-or disappeared-in
wee type, and the mistake has never
been corrected in the majority of
minds.
Colorado sustained it's prohibition
iaw by 47.000 votes and Missouri
voted against the repeal of its enforce
ment law by a majority of 275 5000.
Yet only the temperance leaders seem
to know of these and other similar dry
victories.
whats the use of figures-piff1e! I
look around and see the workingmen
saving money, homes being made hap.
pier and better, and society people
being more or less forced, whether
they wish 1t or not, to serve fewer
drinks.
i IND that wives and mothers are
practically unanimous for prohibition.
Don't heed what you see in the
huge cities. 1t is the great stretches
Of country. farms, ranches and small
towns that count, and it is the Amer
lea ms there who do a fine service for
their country and themselves by re.
specring this dry law. which is the