Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-03

adoption OF the eighteenth amendment
Will, when properly directed, lead city,
county and State officials to uphold the
law or put men in who will The ma
tional administration is headed right.
1t is under the leadership of man who
believes in the supremacy of the law
and the duty of every good citizen to
observe 1t. What Is needed Is cooper
alton with the national administration
by local and State officials. These OFF,
Gals will give this cooperation when
they believe in it, or when they believe
their power and their position depends
upon their doing it.
Instruction for Young.
The greatest aid to prohibition and
It's enforcement is to instruct our
traffic. A new generation that never
saw saloon; that never saw or expe-
rienced the horrors of intemperance;
that has little knwledge Of this nefa-
rious trafflc; that knows nothing of its
evil influences; that is not aware of
what 1t leads to physically or morally,
Is just coming to maturity. II our
temperance organizations will direct
their efforts along the lines they fol-
lowed that led to the adoption of pro-
hibition, enforcement will become less
and less difficult as the years go by.
The opponents of prohibition are
hard put for argument to sustain their
position. Crimes committed against the
prohibition law are charged to prohibit
ton. Only the thoughtleSS and pref
udiced will accept such argument.
Crimes committed by bootleggerS, muir
derS committed by those violating the
law, murders committed by drunken
men and deaths and injuries inflicted
by those under the influence of LIQUOR
are charged to prohibition, when pro-
hlblt1on, in fact, seeks to do away with
such heinous deeds and does actually
prevent many of them. These crimes
are committed by those who are against
prohibition, not by those for it. They
are committed despite prohibition, not
by 1t. One might with as much reason
say that thievery is caused by the law
against stealing or murder by the law
against murder.
1t Is said that prohibition interfereS
with personal liberty. This was urged
not long ago by a prominent United
States Senator on the floor of the Sen
ate--he really seemed to think this to
be true. On the contrary, prohibition
promotes and preserves personal liberty
Those who oppose prohibition seem to
take the position that personal liberty
gives you and me the right to do as we
please regardless of the rights of any
one else. There is no such thing as per-
Sonal liberty in this country in the
sense that one can do as he pleaSeS.
We have liberty, personal liberty, but
1t Is liberty under law. You and /
can do what we please so long as we
do not interfere with the rights of
others or violate laws passed for the
protection of individual rights. No man
has the right in this country to do
what the law says shall not be done.
There Is no more deadly foe to personal
liberty than the liquor traffic It has
no regard or respect for the rights and
liberties OF men, women or children
The drunken man more than any one
else tnterferes with the liberty of 9TH
ers. How often have you met a drunk
ard staggering along on the sidewalk
and felt compelled to step aside rather
than have a personal encounter with
him. Whose personal liberty is inter-
Tered with in such a case? Bootleg
liquor makes drunken auto drivers who
run into peaceable people doing what
they have perfect right to do. Prop
erty Is destroyed, men and women are
injured, the lives Of innocent children
are taken. Their personal liberties are
taken from them-by whom? Not by
prohibition or its supporters. but by
the enemies and violators of prohibit
ton. cannot comprehend the rea-
Son1ng of able men who claim to be
for personal liberty and denounce pro-
hibition as taking away ones personal
liberty. Such seem to be interested
only in the liberty of the drinker and
not In the liberty of the sober, inno-
cent, peaceable, helpless and law-abid-
ing. They seem to be concerned about
permitting men to demonize themselves
and to have no concern for the limo
cent women and children who may.
and often do, become the victims of
demonized husbands and fathers. Pro-
h1bition seeks to preserve the liberty
of the innocent and to prevent the
denomination of otherwise good and
tender-hearted men. You often see in
down and killed by an automobile
driven by drunken driver. Whose
| liberty has been invaded and whose
rights unjustly taken in this case? 1t
was common occurrence before pro-
hibition to see accounts Of drunken
husbands striking down innocent wives
and dashing out the brains of helpless
children. Is that the sort of personal
| liberty people of this country want?
No. the day Of that is gone never to
return to this country.
Appeal Of Prohibition.
Prohibition should appeal to our peo-
pie independently of its effects from a
moral Standpoint-from a purely busi-
ness and selfish standpoint it should
have their support. We have developed
a wonderful civilization. 1t is becon-
ing more and more dependent upon
mechanics for its support and progress.
! Machines OF great power, delicacy and
| speed, that contribute to our needs and
daily wants and comfort, require the
careful guidance OF sober operators as
never before, not only for the perfec-
ton OF products, but for the safety of
operators, passengers and travellers.
There is no place In our national life,
! whether in business or pleasure
where safety, carefulness and eficiency
| are not imperative today. Eficiencv
Is required of workers and laborers in
every phase of our economic life as
never before. About 80 years ago the
othcials OF our great railroads ordered
that no engineer or fireman should
TAKE drink or even enter a saloon.
| Why? To save train wrecks, prevent
damages and save lives. 1t worked so
well that the rule was eventually ex-
tended to all their employees. Soon bank
ing officials issued orders that bank en-
ployes should not go into a saloon or
drink intoxicating liquors, especially
during banking hours. This order
! rested upon sound business basis and
cut down defalcations. promoted better
work and better service for the public.
Years ago many of our most noted
lawyers after long, hard case drank to
excess. When big business came into
existence the noted lawyers who drank
and were liable to talk too much were
quickly dropped and those who did not
drink and babble were placed in charge
of these large interests.
Nobody processes to want the saloon
back. II we have Intoxicating liquors