The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1929-12-01


National Prohibition
VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW
The enemies of prohibition attempt to
establish the popular impression that
liquor law violations are SO general and SO
widespread that they make a farce of
prohibition enforcement" In order to give
San air of verisimilitude to bald and un-
convincing narrative" the propagandists
for the brewers, distillers and winners
quote the arrests for violations of the pro-
hibition law and even cite the seizure of
diStilling apparatus as though this were
evidence of the failure of the law. Rather
are these facts evidence Of the increasing
enforcement of the law.
Prohibition came as the only possible
solution to the liquor question. There was
an alternative, but only one alternative
and that alternative meant a surrender to
the most anti-social custom humanity has
known. It meant reversing the trend of
American civilization. It meant substitute
ing for this high-poWered, high-velocity
culture which has set this nation in the
forefront of the world, more or less al
coholized condition of national life with
its inevitable accomplishments Of crime,
pauperisn and unhappiness. America had
to choose between progress with prohibi-
license program. 1t chose prohibition and
progress. There is to-day no intimation
that the majority of the American people
are seriously contemplating reversing this
position.
The opposition to the Eighteenth Amend
ment to-day is largely financed by few
wealthy men. Besides the personal graft
fication from their own consumption of
1egalized intoxicating beverages should
their efforts succeed there is also ire
mendous money prize as the reward for
wet victory. The normal expenditure on
Intoxicating beverages, now diverted to
legitimate business, is not less than $5,000,-
100000 a year. according to DR.. Paul H.
NyStrom, professor of marketing, School
of Business, Columbia University. The in
vestments of the millionaire wet group in
prohibition propaganda are very small
compared to the enormous amounts at
stake. The diversion of this tremendous
total from the usual avenues of retail trade
would affect not alone our entire diStribu-
ton machinery including department
stores, groceries, etc., etc, but would
seriously disturb our production rate. The
dollar spent for liquor could not be spent
for automobiles, radios, furniture, or other
items in the long list of American prod
ucts now. consumed in record-breaking
COIdIS ny lIle AulSIICd1 pSOpIe. ne WIlOlS
structure Of our prosperity would be i'm
perilled.
Industry is being mechanical so rapidly
that any considerable disturbance Of our
consumption ratio would most seriously
affect our employment problem. If even
one-half Of the drink bill as estimated by
DR.. Nystrom were diverted from the pur-
chase Of our factory products to the pur-
chase Of Intoxicating beverages, the re-
suits would be disastrous to the workers
of the country. The balance to-day be-
tween production and distribution is SO
delicate that one cannot face with equa-
ninity the possibility of its being SO vio-
lently disturbed.
There is no likelihood of prohibition
legislation being repealed or seriously
weakened so long as the temperance
forces of the country are organized. Be-
cause of this the enemies of this social
policy are making efforts to discredit or to
destroy the organized activities OF the
strongest prohibition groups.
The propaganda against prohibition has
been terrific. If the same assault had been