The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1929-06-01
GENERAL SITUATION

1ENCI6ab O1 L OA41ON
The progress of prohibition in America
is SO colossal as to stagger the imagina-
ton. Opposition to prohibition is found
in decreasing minorities of our population
and of the press. This opinion is for the
most part in the large cities and metro
politan newspapers. The desperation
with which they are now fighting is il
lustrated wherever there is the victorious
progress of prohibition. A few facts re-
stated will illustrate this progress.
For instance, 1. The dread disease of
delirium tremens has practically dis
appeared from our country. q Of the
800 liquor cures all doing a prosperous
business prior to prohibition less than 20
remain and these exist mainly as depart
ments of general hospitals treating liquor
on the side. In other words there is
scarcely one institution left in America
that is devoted to the exclusive treatment
of alcoholics g. Beer gardens and all
night boozing dance halls are a thing of
the past. 4. Advertising of alcoholic
liquors has disappeared entirely from all
billboards and newspapers and every
other advertising medium in America.
Outside of our big cities and their press,
prohibition has already been accepted as
the settled policy of our government, ma
ClO1ldl anu SUdt6. IlllS SbdJSIlSIlO lo proven
by the increasing dry majorities elected
to the National Congress, both in the
House of Representatives and in the Sen
ate The last presidential election had no
sharper issue on which the people voted
than prohibition The candidate who
forced this issue and made his campaign
almost wholly upon it was one OF the
worst beaten presidential candidates in
our entire history.
This emphatic victory for prohibition
has brought about already an improve
ment in the enforcement of the prohibi-
ton laws both national and state. This
is reflected in Cook County where since
the last election. the law-enforcing au-
thorities, Federal, state and municipal are
now working in hearty accord and are
securing the best enforcement of liquor
laws Cook county has yet seen.
For all this we thank God and take
courage We believe results obtained and
the dangers of the hour justify and re-
quire the friends of prohibition and good
government to rally to the support of the
Anti-Saloon League, as the most effective
agency commissioned by the churches to
maintain, protect and enforce anti-liquor
laws and carry forward an increasingly
effective educational campaign.
. THE WET PRESS
The wet press of our state was never
more openly defiant of all law restricting
the liquor trade than at the present time.
This is wildly illustrated in their
handling of the recent deKing case in
Aurora. DR.. Paul Hutchinson, managing
editor of the Christian Century, in a re-
markable article in the issue of the Chris
ton Century, of May Is, this year shows
how unscrupulous the wet press is in edi-
torial and news treatment of all law en-
forcement efforts on the part of Federal
and state prohibition agencies.
We denounce the disloyalty of the wet
metropolitan press in referring to regular
ly commissioned government officials as
'snoopers" "desperadoes." "sneaks," etc.
These and other opprobrious terms dis
credit the government and tend to incite
to violence and defiance of law. Heavy
punishment should be provided for those
who are guilty of such contempt for gov
ernment.