The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-10-11

organization. It must be judged by its ann ana
it's program. A similar charge might be maoe W
neople of evil intent against Mr. Knutsons espous-
al of the economic interests of the farmers Du' ~
would be equally unjust.
Prohibition does not cover up the lack Oh reai
difference between the Republican and Democrat
ic parties any more than does the tariff. Inc LIE.
mocratic hill billies Of the South the paten1ers OIL
moosnhine furnish the shock troops Of the Ane-Sa-
loon League. The strongest supporters OF Ine All
IL Saloon, League were the members OF the nlam-
Gus "Ohio Gang" during the Harding adnlnistra-
tion Republicans divided on promoltlon just
as they are now divided over the tariff ISSUE DO
are the Democrats. Prohibition may be removed
as an issue in American politics and the only pos
sble program is that of the American temperance
League In the meantime no sincere ngnter
against the evils of capitalism should doff the
armor of battle pending solution of the promol-
ton question. 1t must not be assumed that all
those who support the aims and program OF the
American Temperance League intend to put all
their other political interests in cold storage until
the last prohibition snooper goes to the poor mousse
In reply to Mr. Knutson's contention that liquor
is disease of capitaistic society we agree That lt
is-almost as much as the seven-year-itch 1t does
not serve any useful purpose to blame everything
obnoxious on the capitalist system. Liquor mas
been used as a beverage since the dawn of human
history and there is hardly thing that grows out
of the earth that cannot be induced 10 bring cheer
and big head to the scofflaw. Capitalists In
their desire to increase the efficiency of the work
ers were originally the "angels" of prohibition
The capitalists not interested in the welfare
of the workers but in profits and when they dis
covered that moonshine was just impiacable
foe of efficiency as Old Crow Green River, many
of them got behind the Association for The Repeal
of the Eighteenth Amendment AS in every other
case there are honorable at least notable, excep-
lions to this. Henry Ford declared that he would
stop manufacturing Tin LzIes if prohibition is
slaughtered tho he continues to build new fac
tories in Europe where the most common saluta-
ton is: "What are you going to have?" in twenty
languages
We are just as anxious to see capitalism elimin-
| ated as Mr. Knutson but the act of overthrowal
alone would not rout Gar Booze any more than
! it did in Russia. It may be argued in opposition
to this contention that socialism is only in the pro-
cess of being established in the Soviet Union, that
the revolution is not complete until complete social
iation of land and machine industry has taken
place. While this is true, it is udeniable that the
government of the Soviet Union, always watchfu
for the best interests of the Masses sought to solve
the Hquor proDlem Dy aDOnSn1ng Voukd. Inc el
fort was failure, despite the fact that dictator
ship exists there with public opinion behind thu
government to much greater degree than in an!
other country in the world. The Soviet Union, onc
it realized its mistake, turned around and adoptet
practically the same program that is being offere
to the American people by the American Temper
ance League. That capitalist Canada and Swede
and socialist Russia employing similar meth
DDS in dealing with the booze problem simpl
means that the liquor question cannot be cassifie
as a class issue. However, every worker, radcs
conservative, should be in favor of any program
that makes for temperance since the evils of alec
holism fall heaviest on the working classes.
The farmers of North Dakota and Montana an
of Sheridan County in particular, helped to pa
Mr. Knutson's expenses to Soviet Russia MOI
than once so that he could bring back inform;
ton regarding the manner in which the emanc
pated workers and farmers of that country al
tacking the problems that confront them, includin
the liquor problem. Perhaps Mr.. Knutson did n,
permit himself TO be distracted from weight,
problems by study Of attempts to enforce prob
bition in Russia. If he had he might not have u