The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-04-21

will appear Wednesday will pre-
sent the viewpoint Of q national
Unknown woman favorable to
prohibition.
BY MRS. CHARLES II. SABIN
Chairman Of the Women's Organ
ization for National Pro-
hibition Reform.
Washington, April 2l.-The think
ing women of America, once aroused
by the dangerous conditions confront
ing this country as a result of the
failure of prohibition, will not cease
their work and efforts until the 18th
amendment Is repealed.
The Women's Organization for
National Prohibition Reform went on
record last year for repeal, refusing
to consider any substitutes or compro-
misses. The popularity of that stand
has been c~onyincingly demonstrated
by the progress we have since made;
strikingly evident in our large en-
thusiastic conference, just adjourned.
in the national capitol.
Last year we met at Cleveland with
300 women, q third of whom were
residents of Cleveland and nearby
communities. This year 1000 women
gathered from 80 states and the Dis
trict of Columbia-determined and
representative women from the south,
the middle and far western states as
well as from the eastern Seaboard.
Sentiment Turns
There is no doubt that sentiment
against prohibition has increased ire
mendously. The huge majorities
which candidates supporting repeal of
state prohibition laws received in the
last 1880 elections showed clearly that
women as we'll as men had turned
against an intolerable state of affairs.
The growing army of women which
this organization represents will not
let any candidate for office evade
this issue of national prohibition. The
determination displayed by women
voters last November as they broke
party lines in Massachusetts,, Illinois,
Rhode Island, Ohio and Pennsylvania
was only a f%orerunner of what Is to
come. These women will go into the
conventions and primaries of the sew
eral parties in 1892 to fight for the
nomination of candidates pledged to
repeal the 18th amendment. And II
necessary they will 60 to the polls on
election day prepared to place patri-
otism above p~artisanship and vote for
the cause Of prohibition reform.
For Children's Sake
have been asked If there is q par
ticular woman'S viewpoint on prOht-
bition. If there is such a thing, 1t Is
because of their interest in children.
A majority of the women at the or
ganization'S recent Washington con-
ference were mothers. They cannot
help but be seriously concerned to
have their children growing up in the
face of conditions existing today be-
cause of an attempt to enforce total
abstinence upon the nation.
I think it will be conceded that
liquor was never so easily obtainable,
especially by women and minors. The
old saloon, whatever its evils, did not
count large numbers of women and
young people among its customers.
Today liquor is served to anyone, both
in speakeasies and in the home. Chill
dren are growing up in a world where
lawlessness is rampant, hypocrisy en-
couraged and contempt for the con-
stitution lauded.
A New Issue
The prohibition question has gone
far beyond the question OF the right
to drink. Prohibition itself is really
no longer an issue. The country Is
now primarily concerned with decid-
ing the best method of Kidding itself
Of the systems glaring and ever more
threatening evils.
The prohibitionists r still making
the speech which they made before
the 18th amendment became part OF
the constitution. They are still talk
ing about a theory; they are still
pointing to the evils of the old saloon.
This organization contends that we
have never lost the saloon; 1t is now
known as a speakeaSy. But saloon or
speakeaSy-we want to be rid Of 1t.
We want control Of the liquor traffic.
No such control now exists, despite
the tremendous expense and effort
which the government has put into
its attempt at enforcement.
It Is hard to understand why the
drys will not join with us in trying to
put the speakeasy out Of business.
These groups are fighting far hard
er to save the 18th amendment than
they ever had to fight to secure it.
But they are demoralized.
Before national prohibition they
had only to combat the brewers and
the distillers. Now they are up
against the attack of a great body Of
intelligent, altruistic men and women,
and they r consequently becoming
more and more irrational and con-
fused.