The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-07-27

ReformerS OF the nigh pald SAL
airy type will have a cat fit over
certain remarks broadcast ia the
three buck" book of Albert Edward
Wiggam.
Time is coming when they will
make some people bootleg science.
The reform sweepers are cleaning
I'D fiction and some best sellers"
Wiggam has been a best seller.
And in his latest, The Bobbs-Merrin
Company publication, he has
chance to challenge even the COM
mand of his other two best sellers"
The title of his new challenge is
"The Next Age of Man. and the
author gives no excuses for his title
or his subject matter.
Challenge No. Ia title OF thought
on Page 58-"Why Prohibition Will
Not Work"
The definite answer is given under
a general discussion of the question;
Can We Remain Civilized" The
thing like about this question and
answer is that Wiggam puts on the
loud speaker and doesn't care who
reads him and how.
Any author daring to title chap
ter Can We Remain Civilized?"
and then under that head discuss
why Prohibition Will Not Work"
has the right to be respected not
only in Indiana but in foreign
States as well.
Cold print in Wiggam's new chal-
lenge under the two thought titles
says-"It is my belief in moral as
we'll as intellectual education that
gives me my strongest hope for
eugenics."
He Has Hope
And then-"It gives me the hope
that men will in time institute
biological policy as big and as in
sistent as imperative in its ethical
demands and as lofty in its calls to
mems inner drives, as are the APP
peals that come from the more
tangible rewards of civilization"
All so much "Greek"-Maybe, but
get his thought when he writes
after all, civilization is not an ar
tificial creation but natural de-
velopment. It is simply a fulfill
ment of organic function. Indeed,
civilization is the outcome OF mans
fundamental trends; and chief
among these trends@I shall not
venture in this day to call them IN
stincts-are hunger, the sex emo
ton, the aethetic senses and the
desire to be important. Civilizatio
gives more prizes to these natural
functions than does the jungle, and
that is chiefly why we try to be
civilized"
And then you ask me-Where
does this prohibition stuff come IN?
NV answer is in the way that Wig
gam developes his subject. This
man doesn't want you to fall dead
when he springs his stuff. He gives
one a nice mental carpet of argu-
ment to fall upon. And here is his
carpet of thought in his new
book"
But when a society becomes as
COMPLEX as ours, these trends must
be more and more subjected to con-
troll. not only by the individual him
self but by the best trained techni-
cal intelligence which the race can
attain and institute"
And then the landslide OF argu-
ment in Wiggan's words in his new
book-"And for these reasons, just
because man is so little rational and
SO much emotional, just because he
will be a damn fool if he gets half
a chance, I do not see the slightest
hope of prohibitions and policemen's
clubs curing him of such a vast
trend in his nature as his desires
to relax the tensions of his own life
and seek either real or a fictious
freedom in alcohol"
And then endeth the chapter of
statement of fact on prohibitions.
Wiggams next two divisions Of
thought under Can We Remain
Civilized?" have these titles-"Al-
cohol in History" and Prohibition
Put Over BY the Town Drunkard."
The Prize Line
And the prize line in his thoughts
is to be found on page SO when he
writes-"It is highly probable that
the American people prior to prohi-
bition. we're rapidly drinking them
selves sober. Those family strains
that were highly susceptible to alco-