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


If Illinois were politically organized as
are the other states of this Union, having
separate Representative as we'll as Sena-
torial and Congressional districts, the ma
jority for law enforcement would be as
great proportionately in the House of Rep
resentatives as in the State Senate. But
in our present plan of minority represen-
tation it is possible for citizens If they so
desire to cast the three votes TO which
they are entitled for one candidate of the
lower House and thus elect a minority
representative. AS result of this prac-
tice we have in the House only a narrow
margin one way or the other on the wet
and dry issue.
In spite of this handicap, Illinois has
kept the So-called wet majority OF the
House so low that their pet measure, the
Webber-OGrady Referendum Repeal bill
passed the House by constitutional ma
jority of one vote only. That bill is now
pending in the Senate where the loyalty
of Illinois to the Federal government can
be relied upon to the decisive defeat of
this measure.
EDUCATION
The Anti-Saloon League, both National
and State in major proportion is educa-
tional. Prohibition came to America be-
cause the children of past generations
as a race poison. Modern science has
proven that drinking of alcohol is not a
mere personal privilege, but sin against
the physical nature, the cure of which is
visited upon the children of the drinker
to the third and fourth generation.
Therefore, no man or woman has the
right to drink alcohol We may not sin
against the unborn All educational in
stitutions should emphasize anew the
;Ic Of MI a0I TTa nj
the educational authorities of our state
who are observing the law that provides
for this sort of education. But in addi-
ton to what is done for pupils in common
schools and colleges and universities there
should be wide use made of picture screen
and loyal types of journalism for the wide
dissemination of the facts showing the
unspeakable injuries wrought by beverage
alcohol. We remember with gratitude the
fundamental work done by the Woman'S
Christian Temperance Union along these
lines. We pledge to the w. c. T. U. and
all other educational agencies our hearty
support in making education against al
cohol even more efficient.
WET LEGISLATION
The liquor forces fight by all means, foul
or fair in desperate efforts to bring back
the legalized traffic in beverage alcoholic
liquor Our superintendent and his legis-
lative lieutenants carefully scrutinize every
bill introduced into the Legislature. Some
of these measures appear innocent enough
and yet if enacted into law would open a
wide door for the return of beverage al
coholc liquor. We commend our superin-
tendent and his helpers for their alert
watchfulness along these lines.
YOUNG PEOPLE
Perhaps the most vicious SANDER pro-
mulgated by the wet press and other peo-
pie desiring the repeal of our prohibition
law is the charge that the youth of Amer
ica are drinking more generally than in
pre-prohibition days. To any informed
person this charge against American youth
is preposterous. Where alcoholic liquor is
used by youth the home and the society
in which these young people live are in
large measure responsible. Tt is the adult
who is the problem and the source of most
of the difficulties experienced in the en-
forcement of prohibition. Therefore we
call upon the parents, teachers and other
guardians of our youth to guide sympa-
thetically and intelligently our boys and
girls, warning them away from the perils
of beverage alcohol. A recent survey in
colleges and other groups of American
youth proves abundantly how utterly un
Just are the charges made against our
young people in this matter of drinking
Mtoxicants. We are aware, however, that