Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-11-08
WASHINGTONAu
LETTERM
.NN %

WASHINGTON.-D at Staun-
ton Military academy, some Of the
bows began telling young Lamar
Pickett that prohibition was a flop.
Haw, haw!
Lamar happens to be the son OF
the renowned Mr.. Deets Pickett, re-
search secretary for the Methodist
board of temperance, prohibition and
public morals. Mr. Pickett probably
knows as much about prohibition as
any other man in the United States.
One of the best things he does is to
tell people all about it.
Dear Dad" wrote Lamar, II wish
YOU would send me all the data on
prohibition you can rake up. Some
of these boys claim that prohibition
lis a big flop. One fellow claims that
the United States government has
published statistics admitting tn t
there are 100000 bootleggers in the
United States. Is that right?
Particularly, have you any sta
tistics regarding Buffalo? My room
mate says there is more hooch being
sold there than ever before. Please
try to send this information as soon
as possible.
LAMAR"
Mr.. Pickett began by telling Lamar
| that it was promising indication
! for the future national welfare when
boys began to discuss great public
questions independently among them
selves. Here are some of the things
the Staunton boys have been hearing
lately from Lamar
| prohibition came after 100 years
of discussion and experimenting with
many other methods of handling the
liquor traffic and liquor evil.
The liquor traffic corrupted the po-
litical organization in the cities and
the nation. This corruption became
perfectly amazing, so much so that
an investigation by senate COM
mittee during the war period revealed
that brewers were actively hostile to
the interests of America in an organ
lied way.
Submission of constitutional
amendment was preceded by thou
sands of prohibition victories in local
option elections and state elections.
Certain people, sections and COM
munitieS refuse to accept this verdict
in regard to the question, although
it has been reached by exactly the
processes outlined by the men who
made the American republic. The
majority of the people in New York
City, and other great cities where
large masses of immigrants from
Europe have been kept uniformed
in regard to American institutions
and ideas, led by some of their great
newspapers, have tried to break pro-
Inhibition down."
Brewery owners and other liquor
interests, wrote Mr.. Pickett, had
urged violation Of the law and tried
to create the impression that smart
people, fashionable people, etc., do
violate the law"
"The existing situation is undoubt-
edly bad Any situation in regard
to liquor must be bad, but there is
enormously less liquor consumed in
the country today than before pro-
! hibition. No boy can run as
fast with a brick tied on each foot
and we have succeeded in tying a
brick to each foot of the liquor traf-
fic, which is still hobbling along"
= -
"The benefits to the country have
been marvellous" Mr. Pickett wrote,
and cited business prosperity, higher
standards of living, lower death rate,
higher school and college attendance,
less crime among boys, increased saw
ings banks and so on.
E1Iff ffol IC q
Lamar, but total arrests there had
decreased 81 per cent and arrests for
intoxication 1926 per cent. Further
more, the government had issued no
statement about 100000 bootleggers- -
with best wishes for all your friends,
I am yours affectionately, Dad"
II APE MARTIN