The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1943-09-23
A Letter On Prohibition

Arthur G. Staples, veteran editor of the Lewiston
(Maine) Evening Journal, printed in his book, The
Passing Age" the following letter from "a correspondent
who seems to have taken some offense at our opinion
on the duty of good people to obey the law" All will agree
that the following is an unusual presentation OF the per-
sonal liberty theme
To the Editor:
You seem to take a good deal of delight in telling
other people how to live and perhaps that is your bust
ness, but it seems to me that you exceed your duty when
you arrogate yourself the right to inform all of those
who may happen to enjoy an occasional drink of Scotch"
! have been presented a fine bottle Of Scotch whis
key for Christmas and it's before me as l set at my type
writer and indite this letter to you. 1t bears the label of
Sandy MacDOnaldIa good, fair, well-bottled liquor
which l am assured was bought before the war and has
form of law to make me a criminal if / partake of this
gift as it was intended that | do by the giver?
! claim that any such law is an invasion Of my per-
sonal liberty. l notice that you have referred often in
your 'excellant column to the so-called Bill Of Rights
which secures to all men and women certain inalienable
rights to their personal liberty, which, as you say, are
not inconsistent with the rights of others. How do you
reconcile your statements?
! have just tasted of this bottle of liquor, l will con-
fide to you, and / cannot see where or how / am invading
the rights of any other person on earth. / find it excel
lent. | cannot feel, Mr.. Editor, that / wronged the com
munity or added to the lawlessness of the general society
in so doing. 1t makes me tired to be classed as a criminal
for any such occasion, and | notify you that before long
are writing.
Just to show my independence of such truck as you
are writing, | have taken another drink of the aforesaid
Sandy Macdonald, and I will say to you that it is about
as smooth a drink as a criminal ever put into his system.
The second drink, which / shall soon follow by a third,
makes me more certain that those who feel their systems
require q stimulant should band together; organize, and
start a campaign to floor this Volstead business if it
can be done.
Now, Mr.. Editor, | am no bum and you can't make
me q bum. like a little drink now and then and / have
taken q third and maybe it is a fourth, and l am more
than eyer convincew that any man that doesn't is a big
idiot. You say that this evabion of the law is producing a
STAGE Of affairs in our CIR ear nand Glorious Country.
You are wronh. This ciuntry is jess as good as it ever
was and was a great deal better country and l will leabe
1t to you fl it wasn't, when we had free rum.
! wan8t to say to you that this Scotch is all right.
A,lot OF it wouldn't do us harm. When we ened stimulany
we need it. My g~randfyer was broughr up on rum. That
had tin the housd all the time. They dranj it freely and
even the ministew drank it when he came to our house.
tbs pretty kinf of a country when a grandson lie better
than his gundfaher. | can drink this sort of Scutob all
DAY and nit be no worse a cicozen than l was beforte. l
could drink this whole quaet AUDI meyer giber an etelash.
Bue whay | wheat of yiou is to remund yiu oncr
agaiain and agnian thqt you arw dead wronb Id COM
1selnglng evert bony whu drinks as a bouhm. We amt
criulals.
will sat inxclosing, thqt wisg yu a 2meRftChrihy-
max" an q haooy Ner Yrare'
Rexcevtfillu Yioytdx o8BdM s SwrvAT.
- WILLIE u Fiji 7 I'D