Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-01
Mr.. Forts Suggestion.

Mr.. Forts Suggestion.
Franklin Fort of New Jersey, q be.
lever in the BENEFITS of prohibition, ha.
+, suggested that the people make theil
own" as a way out of the prohibition
enforcement tangle which has arisen ir
this country. Representative Fort hold,
that the eighteenth amendment to the
Constitution was intended to bring ar
end to commercial trafic in liquor. He
believes that there is nothing In the
amendment or in the national prohi.
bition law that prevents q man from
taking q drink. He insists that it is
legal for q citizen to make light wines
and beer In his home for his own use
Mr.. Forts address in the House yes
terday was the most temperate discus
sion of the liquor question which has
been heard in Congress Tor long time.
And because of its temperatures as
well as because Of Mr.. Forts promi-
nence, he was given an attentive hear
ing by q great majority Of the House
membership. What he had to say was
spplauded and the applause came from
drys and vets, Republicans and Demo-
Gratis alike. Furthermore, he brought to
the discussion something new. Judg-
Ing from past performances, it is un-
likely that either the extreme dryS or
the extreme vets will be able to deal
successfully with the prohibition en-
forcement question, which undeniably
is agitating the entire country. Mr..
Fort comes forward as a firm friend of
national prohibition, but also as mod
crate, who does not believe that it Is q
crime to take drink. His plan is to
raise the bars to the extent OF permit
ting those persons who wish to drink
light wines and beer to make them for
their own use in their own homes. He
would not lower an inch the bar against
commercial trafic In alcoholic bever-
ages.
For generations and centuries men
have sought to solve the problem of
control Of commercial alcoholic trafYic.
High license, low license, local option,
Statewide prohibition and finally ma
tional prohibition have been tried In
this country. The effort has always
been directed to the control of the
liquor trafic. Always there has been
measure of illegal liquor trafac. It Is
that Illegal traffic in this country to-
day which Is causing the people and
the Government concern. It has
grown TO such proportions that It is
idle to say that drinking in this coun-
try has been stopped by national pro-
hibition. The open saloon Is Q thing
Of the past, and It was to put the saloon
out Of business that the eighteenth
amendment was adopted. The question
now presented is how to put the boot
logger and the speakeasy out Of busi-
ness. $500 4iG 8
Mr.. Fort argues that II the making of
alcoholic beverages in the home should
be recognized as legal right. the boot
logger would lose thousands of Gus
toners, first. because the people prefer
to be law-abiding rather than to be
law-breakers or to encourage law-break-
ing. and second, because 1t would be far
more economical for them to make their
own beverages than to pay the exorbi-
tant prices demanded by the bootlegger.
The plan advanced by Mr.. Fort would.
he urges, restore the personal liberty
which many insist has been denied them
by absolute prohibition. Years ago It was
possible to purchase game birds in the
markets. The sale Of these birds is now
prohibited by Law. But 1t is possible
now for the individual to have game
birds on his table, in season, provided
he kills them himself It Is the traf-
nc In game birds at which the law
aims, and the effort through the law
Is to protect the birds and prevent
them from determination. It is the
trafic in liquor, according to Mr.. Fort,
that the eighteenth amendment aims to
eliminate.
Whether Mr.. Forts suggestion be
adopted or not, it has set the pace for
calmer consideration of the prohibi-
ton tangle. Millions of thinking people
in this country are anxious for q COM
mon sense solution of the problem,
which will at once prevent recurrence
Of legalized commercial trafic in liquor
and do away with the tremendous vol
ume Of Illegal liquor trafac that has
now developed. Probably it viii never
be possible to do away entirely with
all illegal liquor trafnc. It fiourished
even in the days of the wide-open
saloon.