The American issue., 1930-03-01
OHIO CITY TRANSFORMED
BY PROHIBITION LAW
In Pre-Prohibition Days Cincinnati
was Gibraltar Of Vets and
Wet Interests
IT IS DIFFERENT NOW
Cincinnati "Times Star" Tells What
John Barleycorn Would Find
Today Were He to Visit One
of the City's Cafes

Of the big cities of Ohio and the whole
country, not one has changed front
on the liquor question SO completely as
has Cincinnati For years and decades
the Queen City" was known as uncom-
promiSingly wet. 1t was the headquarters
of beer and liquor interests of state and
nation Wet organizations hourished.
That city was the beer drinking center of
Ohio and surrounding states. Saloons
were numerous. They did not obey regu-
latory laws. 1t was a Wide-open town.
It's politics was favored with liquor. It's
political bosses gave fealty to the wet
cause.
Ten years ago came national prohibi-
ton, preceded few months by state pro-
hibition Soon thereafter followed a
change in Cincinnati government. The
people broke loose from wet domination.
They chose a city manager, an outsider.
This brought about decided change The
old liquor crowd was routed-and for
good. Today Cincinnati is not dry. The
dry law is f1aunted but Cincinnati is as
different from the days of George B. Cox
and Rud Hynicka as day is different from
night.
THE DIFFERENCE NOTICEABLE
The difference is noticeable in business,
on the streets and in the places where
once John Barleycorn held undisputed
sway In short, Cincinnati has changed
front. Of course, some liquor is sold and
consumed. Of course, the law is violated.
OF course, many want return to old
conditions, but as whole Cincinnati is
obeying the law and likes it.
There is a change in the newspapers OF
the city. They are not SO radically COM
mitted to the liquor question as they once
were. They are not so fanatical as
rule They sense public opinion and are
in line with 1T.
Recently the Cincinnati Times Star
published an article which told Of the
difference in that city on the drink ques-
ton in the last ten years. 1t will be an
eye-opener to those outside that city and
the thousands within its gates The
Times Star pictures the saloon of the old
DAYS with the bar of the present day, and
it declares that eff after ten years OF eX-
lie, John Barleycorn were to return to
Cincinnati today, the grizzled veteran
would probably burst into tears at the
sight of the average cafe bar"
A TRANSFORMATION
Old John Barleycorn would witness a
transformation of the e-prohibition
days and would probably gasp as his
weatherbeaten eyes surveyed the situa-
ton. Then the Times Star says:
Glancing along the bar, he would
find the highly polished brass foot
rail of "the good old days" strangely
missing. And the top of the bar also
would cause him much Wonderment.
For gone are the stems and "groWl-
ers" with their tempting amber fluid,
and frothy, creamy foam, for which
Cincinnati was famous ten years ago.
He would find the tired business
man, the brawny hodcarrier, the
hard-boiled policeman and others of
varied professions and occupations
lined up along the bar, drinking heart
lily, or as heartily as possible under
the circumstances, of the liquids Of
fically approved by Mr.. Volstead.
According to the Times Star, if John
Barleycorn we're to take step closer to