Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-01


that their law may
Sc modified or re- Mrs Ella A. Roo,e.
pealed.
To tho charge of the ''wets" that
prohibition was put over" on the
American people while their backs
were turned. this sweet-faCed, moth
erly lady with the snowy hair says de-
cisively:
prohibition was not adopted hur-
riedly, nor without extended discus
sion of it's merits. 1t was not an ex-
pertinent. Already 80 States had made
it a statute. Congress adopted the
Nolstead act after full and free dis
cussion.
Ratified by Many Bodies.
mo other amendment adopted by
the people of the United States was
ever ratified by so many legislative
bodies, and prohibition thus became
the law of the land
Many people may disagree with
Mrs. Boole. With Senator Bruce of
Maryland, they may regard prohibi-
ton as "a technical. artificial statute,
not rooted in popular approval and de-
irving no support from public opinion
These words do not ruffie the kindly
calm Of Mrs. Boole.
Such arguments represent only the
loud-speaking element. which grossly
eXaggerates the situation, and because
of its own personal desires believes
everybody else has the same desires in
the same intense degree" is Mrs.
Bodies reply.
People may also say that the drys
are only dry because they do not
share Omar khayyam's joys in the
juice of the grape. They further de-
pose and say that no wet has ever
become dry on account of the Vol
stead law, and that so Ions as the
vineyard flourishes and Installations
can be coaXed from a contraption of
boiler. worm and condenser, there will
be those who stealthily make and
stealthily buy.
Mrs. Boole again protests.
Wants Trial for Law.
'"These thoughts she repliese do
injustice to a vast number of patri-
otto, law-abiding citizens who respect
the law because it is their country's
law, made for the good of the great
est number They are willing to give
IL a trial,
Little by little, pressure will be
brought to bear upon those who sell
TASKS, those who keep the thought.of
drink before US by means of maya
zines, novels, motion pictures and
newspaper articles. and the bootleg
gers who ply their trade in defiance
of law.
Meanwhile, it would be real Amer.
icanism and good citizenship to re-
spect and obey the law so long as it
is the law, I do not believe the
country wants it repealed. In time
the people will see it is good and from
within themselves will come the urge
for total abstinence
Mrs. Boole admits that the law does
not altogether prohibit. She also adj
mits that young people hear an awful
lcA bout violation of personal lib
erty,~ alcoholic content, poisoned
liquor, bootlegging and booze, booze
and booze. She even thinks it pos
sible few schools have discontinued
their dances and entertainments be-
cause of the tendency of the young
Idea to shoot toward hip TASKS.
r Blames Wars Aftermath.
e''But I insist" she emphasizes. ait
is but an outburst of revolt, for which
The after effects of war are as much
to blame as the drinking which has
resulted here and there from prohibi.
ton.
For SO years the w. c. T. u. has
carried on persistent campaign of
education. Were it not for public agi- |
tation by women-who have suffered |
more than any one else from the great |
est evil in the world-we would still |
have the saloon, with its destruction |
of character and Of home life. We
have between 100000 and 700, 900
women in our organization. That
many women are a power to be reck-
oned with"
Z Which brings up the little story of
Chauncey NJ. Depew and his ninetieth
birthday. A newspaper man asked il
he thought prohibition would ever be
repealed.
No" said Chauncey.
"Why not?" asked the interviewer.
Senator Depew uttered one word in
answer
Women said he.
And that word. insists Mrs Boole,
is the secret of the strength of prohi.
bition-