The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1933-09-07
A Reader Writes

Was the eighteenth amendment
slipped over and sneaked into our
constitution when no one was looking
and our soldiers were over sea? was
it snap judgment and war hysterla
Everyone Of the 435 members of the
House of Representatives which SUBJ
mitted the amendment was elected
with that a dominant issue Novem-
Der, 1915; one-third of the senator's
were elected at that time, five months
before the United States entered the
World War.
The congress which submitted the
amendment was the first congress
which had been elected by direct
vote of the people and 80 states in all
had, on their own account, adopted
their own prohibition law and we mad
26 dry states and three more became
dry before it became effective. Forty
six state legislatures ratified it and
before it became effective, IS per cent
of our area was dry territory.
The first resolution calling for ma
tional prohibition, was introduced IN
1876: then, 1885, 1911 and from 1913
on national prohibition was contlnu-
ouslv before congress. 1t was the
elimination of more than a century OF
positive education and the clear, calm
action of a great nation. 1t made the
liquor traffic an outlaw and lts op-
erations criminal.
Every mother teaches her boy ana
girl to watch. for the green hgnt IN
Crossing the street which means saIe-
tv. Crossing on red light may
mean more personal liberty but IL
means death. There is a red light IN
front of the liquor interests. 1t means
the return of the saloon and IL Is
danger warning to our young people
in all walks of life as well as on our
highways and traffic tangles In our
cities. 81
The police commissioned OF one OF
our large cities recently said, Sixty
ner cent of traffic accidents have
1iouor background-th the driver
was not drunk but had one or TWO
drinks and slowed up his motor re-
action and cost life.
The first thing to know about alco-
hol is that it is an anesthetlc. IL Is
a therapeutic, kin to chloroform ana
ether. Its pathological effect is DIFFER
ent from each of those just as the
pathological is different from eacn
other. DR.. Brady, MD, was asked
what harm in taking drink before
driving a car. He replied, "A glass
of beer or wine slows the reactlon
time one-fifth of a second to two
thirds. The accident happens betore
the driver can act to avoid It. ;.
Experiments made in the Swedish
and German armies, proved this
noint. 1t slowed their speed and re-
duced their accuracy. Studying tn n
nroblem in connection with ua1hc
hazards, the British Medical Re,
search council of London reported
that the reaction time required Iof
the average driver to take appro-
nriate action when confronted by q
dangerous situation is doubled and
trebled by dose of alcohol equal 70
that contained in two ounces OF WINS
kew. which is substantially less than
that contained in two pints OF peer
The council found out the normal re
action time" is one-fifth OF second
This is a statement of the conciu,,
sion of science that the usual soclal
drink of beer, wine or spirits De1ogs
+he Judgment, retards coordinate ac-
tion and benumbs caution for per-
iod of from one to three hours.
Robert B. Stokel, automobile en-,
uineer. traffic administrator ano
highway commissioner of state OF
Connecticut, said, Really, the most
dangerous man on our highways Is
the man who has only had one drink
or so-the greatest menace on oul
highway is the undrunken driver"
1t seems the liquor interests are
taking advantage of country in the
throes of an economic war: Hepea'
of the 18th amendment has been urg-
ed as the means of ending emergency
taxes to be laid to carry out the ma
toms program; misery taxes, they
are rightly dubbed. =,
What | do not understand is the
gullibility of the people in listening to
the paid propaganda Of the vets
thinking not of the harmful, physlcai
social and moral nature of the Dusl'
ness and have cur government pc
come a partner in the business when
debauches and destroys its citizens.
Will the voters give sanction to
this appeal? If so, history will rec,
ord 1888 as the year the United
States of America surrendered Its
position of moral leadership and sold
its sense of honor. A man in foreign
country said to one of our missionar-