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

In view of these scientific facts If
nation could by legislation eliminate the
curse of drink, with its resulting misery
and death, legislation to that effect
should be passed over night end rigidly
enforced. Fortunately, in this country
such legislation has been passed. 1t has
been fairly we'll enforced; not as effective
ly as it can be enforced in the future, but
it has been sufficiently we'll enforced to
have made a wonderful improvement in
the health and well-being of our people
as a whole In some states it has been
much more effectively enforced than in
others.
REDUCTION IN BEER CONSUMPTION
There has been a great diminution in
the amount of alcohol consumed by the
people of this country since the passage
of prohibition. The consumption OF beer
has been almost entirely eliminated. Ac-
curate statistics properly accumulated
would show probably that less than five
or possibly less than three per cent of
the amount of beer is consumed in the
United States that was consumed in the
old pre-War days The total amount of
alcohol consumed in drink is probably
less than ten per cent of the amount that
was consumed in the pre-War days.
The childish chatter of many individu-
ais who are opposed to prohibition that
there is more liquor in the country today
than ever before can easily be shown to
be untrue. The arguments of those who
are opposed to prohibition that everybody
is drinking and that everybody is making
beer and moonshine can easily be con-
troverted by a careful analysis of the
facts. The opposition to prohibition has
become with some men fixed idea, an
obseSSion which makes it impossible for
them to treat the problem fairly or in
diligently
SURVEY NEEDED
One of the most important things that
can be done at this time would be a sur
vey, by the Federal government, of the
actual state of facts in regard to prohi-
bition throughout the country made by
properly qualified governmental body
with ample facilities to do the work effec-
lively. as is done by the government in
estimating the amount of the wheat crop
or cotton crop of the country. The facts
in regard to prohibition could probably
be quite as accurately estimated as the
amount of wheat or cotton raised, and Tor
years such government estimates have
been in close keeping with the actual
amounts produced.
A GREAT SUCCESS
Taking into consideration the fact that
drink has been an almost universal ana
century-old habit of the human race, the
results secured by prohibition in this
country in the last nine years must be
accepted as a great success for this move
ment.
In wiping out a great curse like drink
or like slavery it is to be expected that
such an effort would meet with serious
opnosition and that success can only be
secured after years of effort. This w"s
true of slavery and it will be true of
drink.
Fortunately for the United States the
Eighteenth Amendment is now a part of
our Constitution. It can not be repealed
except by the co-joint action of at least
36 states. No legislation by Congress can
SO modify the definition of Intoxicating
LIQUORS as to permit the manufacture,
sale and transportation of liquors that
are in fact intoxicating.
The question as to whether liquor is
Intoxicating or not is not a matter of
scientific medical opinion at all but is
matter of common knowledge and COM
mon sense 1t is a matter of common
knowledge that man could get drunk on
the old beer that was manufactured be-
fore prohibition which contained from 3
to 4 per cent of alcohol, and it is a mat
ter Of common sense that if a man can
pet drunk on such beer he can get drunk