Evening star., 1933-11-09
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE

EMPORlA, kanS., November 9 (N.A
MA These lines are written by one
who for 40 years and more has worked
in politics to promote prohibition. Pro-
-hibition is dead. Peace to its ashes.
1t is too early to write its history in
telligently. But it was significant that
the day before the final voting repealed
the eighteenth amendment, the Kansas
House of Representatives unanimously
voted for a referendum on the State
prohibition amendment.
Fiftythree years ago Kansas adopted
the prohibition amendment to its State
constitution. During that time no res
olution calling for the resubmission of
the prohibition amendment to the peo-
pie has got through a committee Of
either house of the Kansas Legislature.
Prohibition had been regarded as a
settled policy In the State-until Mon
day But that day the House and com,
TO resubmit the question. The ques-
ton will hinge upon State control of
the sale of hard liquor in the original
package.
Sentiment Against Prohibition.
There can be no question that senti-
ment generally in the United States
has turned from prohibition as a solu-
ton of the problem of the liquor traffic.
There is no reason to believe that the
result of a Kansas referendum would
materially differ from the result of a
referendum in any other State.
Enr Iau nI he
hibitory method of solving the liquor
problem is dead. A new generation
has come upon the scene which re-
jects the evil of prohibition as worse
than the evil of the liquor traffic. Thi'
new generation may or may not be
| wise. Its theory must be tried in the
crucible of its own experience. There
will be the final test.
Many things have come into Amer
/ lean life in the last 20 years to change
public sentiment upon the prohibition
of the liquor traffic. Quite apart from
the evils of prohibition itself, and they
we're many and obvious, new social ano
economic conditions have arisen which
make it likely, even presumable, that
the evils of an overstimulated sale ol
liquor as manifest in the old saloon
will not return automatically to Amer
ican life.
Saloon Poor Mans Club.
Fifty years ago when the prohibition
movement had its beginning and fol
80 years thereafter when prohibition
by counties and States and finally BY
the Nation swept the saloon from
America, our social and economic life
was so ordered that the saloon was
about the only cheap, convenient ano
| luxurious resort for the average mar
| of the lower middle class. And fol-
the class economically below that, the
| class verging always upon poverty the
saloon was absolutely the only place
| for comradeship and delight open tt
the poorer type of working man. Tht
saloon had its pull quite apart from
the fact that it was the merchandising
| place Of a habit-forming drug.
There was a real and devastating evi
| in the liquor traffic as it was conducted
| by the saloon. The evil was real fol
| the families of the workers and fol
the families of others who were at.
| tracted to the saloon by q drab life ir
| a rather cherries civilization. Mer
drank because they were poor-to get
| away from their poverty for an hour
And then they were poor because they
| drank.
Hence the rage and clamor at tht
saloon, and hence the widespread adop.
| ton of prohibition. Today we have
| another situation in America, socia
| and economic. II the saloon we're Il
| come back today it would meet new
| and strong competitors The saloor
today would be set in another environ
ment from that In which 1t worked 1t!
social evil generation ago. The NOV
ing picture has come to divert the mar
whose father used to go to the saloon
The radio in the home has strength
ened the family against the saloon
| The motor car, which Is almost uni
versai in American life, has Furnished
a strong pull uniting the family, build
ing up the morale and absorbing TIN
income with chattel mortgage, income
which otherwise might go to the saloon
Many Social Diversions.
More than that, In cities. parks afii
tplaygrounds, organized recreation, public
libraries. all sorts of social diversions
now are in the reach Of the poor man
who SO years ago had only the salooi