Milford chronicle., 1928-08-03

common good is both immoral anC
illegal.
Respect for Law-The jazz mint
of the younger generation and the
, growing lack of respect for law are
all present with us just as you de-
scribe, but paraphrasing Shake
speare "Why shake your CORY locks
at us Prohibitionists?" All of these
folks to a man or woman are against
Prohibition while on the other hand
the Prohibitionists have been spend
ing their time and money to teach
the young and old alike respect fol
all laws and respect also for their
families and their homes, which are
wasted or destroyed when they dc
not respect the law.
Intolerance-It has only been OF
recent years that intolerance has
been applied to advocates of a plan
to do something for the moral and
material benefit of our people and
generations yet unborn, a plan OF
which Lloyd George said: America
made up her mind with decision
and courage to make such a bold
experiment as never has been made
on this earth before to deal with
probably the greatest curse of civil
ization." The majority of the citi-
zens of 46 states should not be call
ed intolerant.
In other words, Mr.. Raskob, 1t
does not seem to me that Prohibition
is the paramount question, as Lin
coin would phrase it. Liquor is the
paramount question. For centuries,
almost every civilized nation has
suffered from the evils Of liquor and
in one after another liquor has been,
now a home problem, now a social
problem, now an industrial problem
now a political problem and always
more or less of moral problem
taking toll of the character and the
manhood Of our race.
In our country we went through
all Of those states and experienced
the evils of liquor in all its forms.
The best minds of the nation wrest-
led with its problems, some under
one aspect and some under another,
mastering them in one guise only to
see them break out in another guise'
until the whole country, after hun
dred and fifty years, despaired of
the success of regulation" and re-
sorted to Prohibition as a final
remedy.
Enforcement - Starting in July,
1919, with wartime Prohibition and
then the enactment of the 18th
Amendment in the following Janu-
airy, we had during the year of 1920
degree of respect for the law and
campaign of education and en-
forcement by Daniel C. Roper at that
time Commissioner Of Internal Rev
enue that did bring results. To make
a fair comparison 1 have selected
1915 before there were any war reg
ulations or preparations and am cit
ing the experience in your own city
of New York.
Alcoholism-A study of health sta
tistics of 1920 compared with 1915
will be surprising to many otherwise
well informed people. For instance
take your own city of New York
where in 1915 according to The New
York World of January 9Th, 1928,
you had deaths from Alcoholism of
562 while in 1920 there were only SO,
saving of asa lives in one year.
The New York Times of February
21st, 1927 showed the percentage de-
cline for the country at large for
these same years "A to 10 per 1907
900 population or saving of lives
alone of 3,740 for the Nation, which
one factor alone might be consider
ed ample compensation and please
note the authorities.
Crime-The following statistics re-
garding arrests in your own city of
New York prepared by the Board of
Temperance, Prohibition and Public
Morals at Washington, D. c., and
which have never been disputed
speak for themselves.
For 1015-Arrests all causes ex-
cept Traffic, 202,45S; Felonies, 49,
III; Misdemeanors, 112,20S; Juve-
nile Delinquency, 0,818.
For 1920-Arrests all causes ex-
cept Traffic, 167,367; Felonies, H.
SOL; Misdemeanors, 83,077; Juvenile
Delinquency, 1888.
For 1915-Simple Assault, 1929;
Intoxication, 22,6S5; Disorderly Con-
duct, 38,967; Vagrancy, 1921.
For 1920-Simple Assault, $50;
Intoxication, 1904; Disorderly Con-
duct, 24,955; Vagrancy, S57.
Furthermore there was an in
crease in population of over 100000
in 1920 over 1915. You must bear in
mind that this is your own city and
there were other cities and towns in
the country with empty jails for the
first time since they were construct
ed.
If now after only eight years of
trial we should discard Prohibition
without providing some adequate
substitute, can there be any doubt
we shall go back over the old beaten
path, witness the same toll on our
substance and character and expert
ence in one phase after another the
old progressive cycle of evils from
liquor invading our homes, our So
cial relations, our industrial, bust
ness and political life?
In fine, do not believe there are
very wide differences among men of |
and experience as to
facts and conditions, whether in the |
old days or now, but only differ as
to the best procedure for improving |
conditions, and that thought prompt
ed my inquiry as to your program
for the regulation of liquor.
I take it for granted your Associa-
ton Against Prohibition has no de- /
sire to re-live the experience of our
country in its failure to control the
liquor traffic prior to the advent of |
Prohibition. I assume that all are
agreed on the evils of those days and
the more or less fruitless results of
the various regulations devised to