The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-04-01
Let a Wet Nation Speak


merce in demanding that the United States Chamber
of Commerce take "a fearless and courageous stand
prohibition is evidence that business men are be-
ginning to realize at last that the prohibition law
become economic menace. Annual meeting of the
United States chamber comes in May in San Francisco
Directors of the San Francisco chamber point out
that the body has been on record since June g. 1919
when resolution was passed declaring prohibition
was adopted a war measure and quoting Presi-
dent Wilson saying the need for prohibition had
passed.
Now they demand that the question be faced at
the national convention in May. They say
we believe that the problem created by the eight
zenith amendment best can be solved by recog-
nized industrial and business leaders whose deber-
atoms decisions would not be influenced by poll
teal expediency or religious prejudice"
Economic pressure-belief on the part of business
leaders that abolition of the saloon and liquor traffic
would help business-contributed much toward esab-
lishment of prohibition.
Great sums of money donated by business
concerns to the Anti-saloon League treasury. But
prohibition didn't work out the way those business
leaders thought it would In recent years. therefore,
the Ant-saloon League treasury has been shrinking
Prohibition repeal will come an economic meas
ure. Prohibition long has been recognized as mor1
ment of political corruption devised in the United
States.
Many men and women who honestly supported it,
believing that it would promote better morals, have
turned from it-because it has failed.
1t no longer is experiment Even the churches
which approved it in good faith, have suffered from
It, For, when politicians began to move into pulpits
congregations began to move out of pews.
Prohibition will not be abolished purely moral
grounds. 1t will be abolished not only because it has
proved itself to be immoral but because the Ameri-
can people are beginning to realize that they no
longer afford prohibition
Congress meets and attempts to pare budgets. 1t
feels that it must cut the allowance for the chldrens
bureau which the lives of thousands of babies
every year, but it make the usual allowance of
millions for q gesture toward enforcing law that
never has been enforced and never can be enforced
1t hears proposals to cut the salaries of poorly paid
Washington clerks. 1t must trim the money badly
needed by the interstate commerce commission But
it must maintain costly rum-chasing feet which
usually is outwtted and is effective.
Meanwhile, the department of justice is busy run
ing down AL Capones-not because the Capones have
violated the prohibition law, but because they have
failed to split the loot with the tax collector
And thus, by year, millions are squandered by
government which is saved from the hands of re-
ceiver only because it is government and not pri-
vate institution.
To balance the budget millions must be raised by
nuisance taxes, while the vast and illicit business of
liquor goes tax free.
Now business people are beginning to say:
THE time has when we must look after our
selves. We are tired of being bled. Prohibition is
among the luxuries that we not afford"
And so prohibition is to CO. because it is econon-
lcaly as well as morally unSound More drys will be
swept from their seats in congress and in state legis
atres this ia than in previous election since the
eighteenth amendment was adopted
Action of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
is merely one of the many signs rejecting what is in
the publics mind