The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-08
Prohibition and Profit

Two outstanding facts are pounding their
way into public consciousness.
The first is that this country faces the
necessity Of settling very serious economic
and industrial problems, so grave that great
leaders Of industry and finance declare that
our entire system of government and bust
ness is on trial.
The second is that any political solution
is rendered difficult, if not impossible by
the question of prohibition
The frank declaration that the Anti
Saloon League is in politics to stay and will
back the candidacy of Senator Arthur Robin
son, no matter what his economic views may
be, is fair illustration Any wet senator
from any wet state would receive the I'M
divided wet support on the same basis.
No sane person will deny that there is
much drinking in the nation, and that prob
ably forty millions of our people do drink
despite the law. The bill, at retail prices, is
estimated at between eight and ten billions
of dollars year.
No patriotic person who believes in this
country can be other than alarmed by the
growth Of gang control Of cities, by the cor
ruption Of government of all degrees.
Nor will any one deny that the economic
fate of the wet and the dry is the same The
obess dry and the jobless wet are both to
be found on charity lists and the wet in
dustriaIst and the dry industrialist both face
the same menace to their prosperity. Yet,
when they go to the polls, the jobless dry
and the jobless wet divide their votes and
their common problem remains unsolved.
There is only one reason for the existence
of the bootlegger. He knows that there is
big market The profits from his trade are
so large that he is ready to take the small
chance of jail in order to get those profits.
The business is so rich with profit that it is
organized and has it's own private armies of
gunner to prevent competition.
These gangs run politics. They have
money and they have votes. If they con-
tinue, this government faces surrender to
them
The legaIized saloon of the old days was
founded on the same basis of profits so huge
that it became necessary to corrupt govern
ment and control it in order to maintain
them.
The Canadian experiment of government
distribution fails because the government
places high price upon it's liquor and takes
the profit that formerly went to the indi-
vidual That system, in this country of lax
law enforcement, would still, in all probable
ity, leave the bootlegger the speakeasy, the
gangster, and the corrupt official hunting
for loot.
What would happen if this government
decided to take the profit, ALL PROFIT, out
of this business?
What would happen if it recognized the
fact most deplorableS that many persons con-
tnue to drink as long as drinking is fashion
able and not disgraceful?
Would any bridge hostess offer gin to
guests when those guests knew that it could
be bought for ten cents quart?
Would any business man rent rooms i'll
hotels to serve liquor to legislators if that
same liquor could be bought for a dollar a
gallon?
Of course drinking would not disappear.
Not until education as to the evils of eX-
cessive alcohol had its results. But there
would be an end to the debauchery of youth
who is led to think that drinking is smart
and ritzy. There would be an end to scandals
in college fraternity houses. There would be
an end to the social prestige that today exists
with law violation.
How long would it. take this country to
settle its problem of unemployment, of i'm
poverished farmers, of great depression in
industry, of prosperity and happiness, were
the people not divided and separated into
warning groups over the liquor problems?
Is it not true that there is no quarrel over
any question that has in it no private profit?
Then why not wipe out the private profit IN
liquor and settle the grave matters?
The idea is not original What do you
think?