A
The Commoner
MAY, 1916
23
The Last Defenses
Winning oration in tlie Nebraska
State Prohibition Oratorical Contest,
at Bellevue College, April 14, 116,
by Miss Hazel Parks, Hastings Col
lege. Abraham Lincoln has said "Noth
ing morally wrong can be politically
right or expedient." Advocates of
prohibition arguing from this view
point would justify a prohibitory law
solely on moral grounds, for they
contend that any institution which
propagates squalor and crime, which
debauches millions, which promotes
vice, poverty and corruption, is any
thing but morally right.
But many will hold that the moral
ity of the question is accidental, that
arguments for prohibition must be
founded not on principles of moral
ity, but on principles of political
economy and social welfare. If then
it can be shown that the liquor traffic
results in a great burden of taxa
tion, In a decrease of efficiency, and
in the loss of human life, and that
all this entails grave social damage
and economic loss, then what fur
ther defense Temains for the exist
ence of this institution?
There was a time when the prohi
bition cause was championed by sq
called eccentrics or persons of one
idea, but now the greatest editors,
scholars, and statesmen are acknowl
edging the mighty import of this is
sue, and today the question of the
liquor traffic is involving the exist
ence of nations. Russia has been
quick to realize the need of drastic
measures and now has national pro
hibition, France, and Germany have
enacted wise prohibitory laws; in
England the extreme .gravity of the
problem was reveaied by Chancellor
Lloyd George when he said, "We are
fighting Germany, Austria and drink,
and so far as I can see the greatest
of these three foes is drink." If the
enormity of the liquor traffic is so
evident in Europe, is it not equally
detrimental to America? Let us ex
amine the evidence at hand.
It is estimated that $2,500,000,000
are spent annually for intoxicating
liquors. This i approximately three
times what we spend for education,
six times the cost of the Panama
canal, and twice what we spend an
nually for all the salaries of public
officials from the President down,
plus the expenses for law enforce
ment, plus the expenses for the de
partments of interior and agricul
ture. But before we condemn this
vast expenditure of money for liquor
let us consider the returns. An in
stitution is judged not by its magni
tude but by the contribution it makes
to social and economic life. What
then does the saloon contribute?
First, inefficient workmen. The
increasing demand for total abstin
ence by employers is ample proof
for this contention, but we have more
direct evidence. It is the universal
verdict of modern psychologists and
scientists that liquor contributes
vastly to inefficiency. The Russian
minister of finance says, "I assure
you that since the adoption of na
tional prohibition the productivity of
every class of workmen in Russia
has already increased from thirty to
fifty per cent." Never before in the
world's history has the question of
efficiency been of such momentous
concern. In these days of complex
industrial organization the presence
of one sluggish individual not only
retards the efforts of scores, but oft
en endangers the very lives of hun
dreds. Certainly a truly potent na
tion must be an efficient one.
But what more does the saloon
contribute? a vast army of defec
tives, dependents, and delinquents.
Our state and municipal governments
are spending stupendous sums in
maintaining institutions to care for
the victims of the liquor traffic. From
1909 to 1914 the cost to the state
of Connecticut for courts and insti
tutions, humane and penal, increased
from $1,308,000 to $2,577,573. Fifty
per cent of this increase was directly
charged to the liquor traffic. Gov
ernor Byrne of South Dakota, who
has given most careful attention to
the prison population of the United
States, reports that seventy per cent
is directly duo to drink. We find
from the federal mortality statistics,
compiled dispassionately, that from
1901 to 1910 approximately 207,000
Americans were murdered by the li
quor traffic under such circumstances
that the plea of not guilty was im
possible. Surely these products are
of vast significance.
But let us be quite sure that the
detrimental products are in such
preponderance as to outweigh the so
called beneficial ones which are fre
quently attributed to the saloon.
We hear the statement that were
it not for the liquor trade thousands
of men would be without employ
ment. In making this assertion these
advocates forget that every year
thousands are thrown out-of work
through inefficiency resulting straight
from the saloon. From the statis
tical abstract of the United States
government we. find that whereas
$1,000,000 invested In normal busi
ness employs 308 men, the same
amount invested in tho liquor trade
furnishes employment to only 77
men. But suppose these figures
proved the contrary, suppose that,
four times as many wage-earners
were employed In the liquor business
relatively speaking as in other lines
of work we would only contend
the more strongly that the employ
ment argument of tho liquor traffic
is absolutely false, for we do not
prodmce in order to furnish employ
ment, we employ for the purpose of
producing what is useful.
Let us next consider the validity
of their most vital contention, name
ly, that the liquor business reduces
the tax rates and virtually supports
the communities. Driven from ev
ery other vantage ground the liquor
traffic intenches itself behind what it
considers an invincible plea, rev
enue. Do you know that for every
dollar received in revenue from the
saloon we are forced to pay $16.00
to care for the awful results of this
business? Is It profitable to sanc
tion an institution which though
yielding a small revenue a,t the same
time makes it necessary for us to
spend sixteen times that amount in
order to support the increased police
forces, charity institutions, prison
and Insane asylums which would not
be were it not for the liquor traffic.
This is not mere theorizing. The
late Carrol D. Wright, recognized
governmental statistician, will bear
us out in these statements. But we
have more than statistics upon which
to base our contention. We have the
unbiased testimony from states and
countries where prohibition has been
put into actual practice. The reports
from the "police officials of Arizona,
of Alabama, and of Kansas, reports
from the capitol of Des Moines, Iowa,
statements from Judge Rucker of
Denver, from the director of prose
cutions in Regina, Canada; from the
city clerks of various North Dakota
towns; from the Russian govern
ment, and scores of other sources all
prove that there exists a direct cor
relation between saloons and asy
lums, police courts, prisons and char
ity homes, and that the small rev
enue from the liquor business In no
way compensates for the enormous
expense that the maintenance of
these various institutions demands.
But most convincing of all that
prohibition is absolutely essential to
a nation's social and economic well
being is the fact that now, when
practically all Europe is at arms,
there has been felt with tremendous
force tho need of prohibition as a
means of conserving material wealth,
human resources, and national
spirit. If prohibition Is so essential
in time of great conflict, It is equally
so in time of peace. Will it take the
ravages of war to open our eyes and
arouse us to action? Wo believe not.
With tho great object lessons of
Europe before us we can not believe
that the United States will fall to
see that if America would bo su
premely great she must exterminate
this institution which has failed so
utterly to justify its existence. The
liquor traffic attempts no vindica
tion upon moral grounds, and now
wo have overwhelming evidence that
tho long cherished revenuo argu
ment is absolutely fallacious; that
Instead of being an economic asset
the saloon is a huge, incalculable
burden, while in the social realm it
is a loathsome cancer eating out the
very vitals of society. Where then
is there to be found justification for
the saloon? Its vantage ground is
lost. Its last defensive fortress has
fallen and the victory will soon be
ours.
Hotel La Fayette
1TH STltEET AT BYE X. W. '
Washington, D. C.
A new, elogant, ten-story, flr-proo
hotel. Opened January 18th, 191 .
Located In Washington's fUHhlonnbto
district, and on tho most bcnullful
street In America. Convenient to ev
erything: worth while, and adjoining?
famous St. John'u church, and over
looking LaFayetto Square, tho Whit
Houflo, tho Treasury, State, War and
Navy buildings. Especially located
and managed to accommodate particu
lar people Booms European. All
sleeping rooms havo privato bath;
many rooms In suites (sitting 'room,
bedroom and bath). Restaurant, tahlo
d' lloto stylo, sorvico of the highest
class and tho food par excellence.
RATES REASONABLE
Booklet descriptive of hotel mailed
on request.
PARIS & KIRBY, Mgrs.
Hotel LaFayette
SAYS BRYAN NEVER STRONGER
To tho Dallas News.
uuilbYICYY, AtJAUB, April Z1. 11 IS I
with regret that we note you have
joined the crowd that is trying to
"eliminate" Mr. Bryan, and that you
are writing editorials trying to con
vince people that Mr. Bryan has lost
his power. Mr. Bryan has never
been stronger in the hearts of the
people than he is today. Yours truly,
H. H. WATSON.
"DRY CLEAN NEBRASKA WHERE
YOU ARE"
(To be sung to the tune of "Bright
en the Corner Where You Are," the
song made popular by the Billy Sun
day campaign. Composed by Mrs.
Agnes D. Roberts, Omaha.)
There is work for every person in the
state this year,
For the wets are very active near
and far;
If you wish to win the fight and rid
the state of beer,
Dry Glean Nebraska where you
are.
Chorus
Dry clean Nebraska where you are,
Dry clean Nebraska where you are,
Someone seldom sober you may rec-
cue from the bar;
Dry clean Nebraska where you are.
There are many saddened homes-i
which you may brighten soon
Work with courage, let no fears
debar;
You should never lose a chance to
hit the vile saloon;
Dry clean Nebraska where you are.
Chorus
There are many who oppose us in
our cause of right
What you do will either help or
mar;
There are many voters needed if we
win this fight;
Dry clean Nebraska where you are.
Chorus.
Copies of thia Naflet may be ob
tained free by addressing Literature
Department, Room 415 Fraternity
Building, Lincoln, Nebr.
FOR SALE
AT A BARGA N
The Homestead of the Late
Richard Parks Bland
100 Acres, With CO Acres ia
A BEARING ORCHARD OF 3,000
FRUIT TREES
2800 Apple Trees, with a record
of 2,500 barrels, shipped in 1912.
Over two hundred trees bearing
walnuts, peaches and small fruits.
Ono hundred acres of grain and
pasture lands in addition to tho
Orchards, with abundant water for
stock or dairy farming, and ample
outbuildings.
A TEN-ROOM BRICK HOUSE IN
GOOD CONDITION
In tho famous Missouri Apple
County of the Top Ozarks on the
Lacledo Country Plateau of level
land, with tho best air and no ma
laria. Sco the record; the health
reports.
THE CITY LIMITS OF LEBANON
A thriving Missouri town of 2,500
people, form one of the boundaries
of tho Bland homestead. Lebanon
has electric lights, city water, tele
phones, churches of all denomina
tions, a modern high school and
grade schools. It is a growing
town and has the
SHIPPING FACILITIES OF THE
ST. LOUIS & SAN FRANCISCO
RAILROAD SYSTEM.
Existing conditions make it im
perative that this splendid estate
of 160 acres be sold at a sacrifice.
The property can be obtained for
less money than tho improvements
have cost tho present owners. This
proposition offers a rare opportun
ity for gain to either the practical
farmer or capitalist seeking profit
able investment. Under com
petent management the property
can bo made to yield large returns,
while the natural increase in Mis
souri farm values will greatly
enhance the worth of this land
during the next few years. For
terms and other information,
address
Mrs. Richard Parks Bland,
1645 Fillmore Street,
DENVER COLORADO
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