SSST"1 'wWi '
V
The Commoner
v:
MARCH, 1919
l!&1WPQtlf
for Prohibition
Tt has been a great light and the victory is
rtimnlete. It cost years of toil and sacrifice, and
Sons of earnest men and women have clieer
f,,iiv contributed their part, and- the (result is
abundantly worth the effort. With thirty-six
sKtcs ratifying within thirteen months from the
day the amendment was submitted, with nine
more states, though unnecessary to ratification,
added to the list and with the probability of two
more before the legislatures now in session ad
journ, and the certainty that the entire forty
eight states will be recorded in the affirntivo
when tho people of the states that fail to ratify
have another chance, what a glorious triumph
for a nation's conscience.
It may bo worth while to review briefly the
forces that have contributed to the final result.
The first and most important of all is the moral
sentiment that has been' back of the prohibition
fight. Because alcohol is a POISON injurious
to body, mind and soul tho sale of it has been
indefensible before the bar of conscience, while
responsibility for the wong done by the man
who sells it to his neighbor rests primarily upon
the individual who handles the product and
makes the profit, it does not res'; upon him
alone. Co-responsibility of the voter has grown
more and more clear as the harmful1 effect of
alcohol, even in moderate quantities, has been
demonstrated conclusively by scientific experi
ment. The old question, "Am I my brother's
keeper?", has been used by the men engaged in
the liquor traffic and they could not haveiborrowed
a better phrase because it is as deceptive in its
present application as it was when used by Cain.
Ho had not only failed to keep his brother but
had actually taken his life. And so those who
have tried to avoid or shift responsibility by re
peating the phrase have been guilty of a positive'
attack upon the welfare of those to whom .they
sold. But the voter is not at liberty to stand by
and see an injury committed' white It is within
his power to prevent it. The Goldon Rule is an
essential part of the Christian religion. It is not
content with negative helpfulness but compels
affirmative helpfulness. The coercion of the
voter has been increased by two facts.
1. Tho collecting of money from the saloon
has given to each taxpayer a part in the blood
money collected by the saloon because to a cer
tain extent, the license feqs are taxes and are
s-pposed to save him money. He is, therefore,
compelled to ask himself, "Can I afford to vote
money into my pocket at the expense of the
man who drinks?" Can I stand for tho policy
that auctions off the souls of men in return for
revenue derived from the traffic especially
when those revenues by saving me money go,- in
part, into my own pocket. Then, again, the sub
mission of the saloon question to the votors puts
upon the voter the responsibility of throwing his
influence one way or the other. He can no longer
shift responsibility; he must chose which he will
serve, the home or the saloon.
2 Scientific investigations have greatly -aided
the cause of prohibition. It has been established
beyond question that alcohol impairs efficiency.
lowers the record of a man at target practice
- he cannot shoot as straight. It increases the
number of mistakes that the typesetter will make
liia i Is not so valuablo to himself or to
'us employer. .It weakens ability to resist disease
ana shortens his expectancy as measured by in
surance tables. Men in increasing numbers have
come to understand that suicide by degrees is
tL ro defensIMe than suicide by suddon act.
em.- ,n 1who,'at a critical moment in tho pro
chiirir0 dJsease' must confess to his wife and
tliim ?n at llIs chances of remaining with
diiiS, w decreascd in order that he.-might in
BuiS?8 appetlto nds it difficult to defend the
to o o ?at!on of tllQ interests of his loved ones
Thftf?M sh gratification 0f a taste for liquor,
anov 5 Wh0 kn0W3 that the average dxpect
lesa w a moderate drinker is at the age of '21
of thl ? than 10 per cent than the expectancy
com? ilfi abstaIner is embarrassed when he
throl Xn signt the end ad flnds'that
hh fin lis indulgence in drink ho must leave
him nil rS? jusb at?the time'1 when they need
specffiiv iiw ?pon Ws wife ' a- oubl0 :care'
tloiw J ii ? Bll ha9 already suffered .tho priva-
Pon hS f?mir 'drnldns man' ua-Uy bElngs
Dort tJusInS8-nien have ,given increasing ;sup
0 Prohibition in recent years because they
have found, that important tasks cannot bo on
trusted to men whoso mental processes aro para
lyzod by alcohol. Railroads and steamship com
panies and othor largo employers of labor have
been compelled to lay down rules that hnvo
powerfully stimulated total abstlnonce. Em
ployers have found that no safoty dovices can
protect a drunken man from accident to himself
and to others and they have found prohibition
a partial protection against damage suits.
Those three influences an awakened con
science, scientific experiments and business ex
perience were bringing tho nation inevitably
to prohibition. But tho war hastened tho over
throw of tho saloon because patriotism became
an ally of the. prohibition forces. Tho strain
which war brought upon tho man compelled tho
nation to pay attention to tho evil effects of
alcohol. One hundred per cont men wero needed
and wo could not afford to make a reduction in
man-power for the benefit of a traffic which was
so sordid and selfish that it would make drunk
ards of tho very soldiers who must stand be
tween us and foreign foe. A law was passed
prohibiting tho sale of intoxicants to men in
uniform, and to make this law more effective dry
zones were created around cantonments. Tho
benefit of these laws and regulations immediately
became apparent and converted persons who had
previously opposed prohibition. It is admitted by
practically all that the elimination of alcoholic
drinks enabled our nation to mobilize its forces
as it. could not have done if it had been com
pelled to endure the waste and in efficiency pro
duced by drink.
We had many slogans during tho war, among
the most prominent were, "Food will win ,tho
War" and "Bonds will win the War." Wo now
know that the withdrawal of intoxicants from
the soldiers helped to win the war, while the
banishment of the saloon at home increased the
ability of producers on farm and in factory to
furnish the food and the ammunition nocessary.
But now that the time for the constitutional
amendment to take effect is near at hand, what
of the future? Wo must not devote our entire
time to rejoicing over victories achieved. Wo
must press, forward and take up the new duties
and there are some new duties to be performed
in connection with prohibition.
1. We must enforce the law. Laws aro not
self-enforceable. As long as it is profitable for
a human being to violate the law the law will
be violated. A law that is never violated may
almost be called an unnecessary law. The more
a law is violated the more apparent its necosslty.
We have a law agaii.st murder; it is violated
and, therefore, wo must have officials who, hav
ing no sympathy with murder, will bo ready to
prosecute thoso who do violate it. Wo have a
law against stealing; it is violated and, there
fore, we must have officers who have no sym
pathy with thieves in order to secure the en
forcement of this law. And so there aro laws
on othor subjects. The law is the voice of tho
community and tho officer is tho arm of' the
community acting in sympathy with the voice.
Tho believers in prohibition must be on tho
alert to see to it that the enforcement of the
law is not entrusted to those who aro in sym
pathy with its violation. We have secured a great
advantage in prohibiting tho manufacture as
well as the sale of beverage liquors because wo
have overthrown the citadel of lawlessness. Tho
brewers' associations and distillers' associations
have stood back of the violations of tho law and
furnished the money to carry on campaigns for
the election of officials pledged in advance to
lawlessness. While the manufacture of Intoxi
cating beverages was permitted these men could
meet publicly and pass resolutions threatening
politicians who dared to favor prohibition but
their power to threaten is gone and the coercion
is now on tho other side. The very politicians
who used to be afraid of offending the brewers
will now be afraid of offending the sentiment
that supports the law. The -bootleggers cannot
organize national or even state associations.
They are as powerless as the pickpocket when it
comes to organized action. There can be 'no con
certed action among the violators of a law cm
'bodied in the national constitution. But while
our task is made easier it is still necessary to
provide for the machinery for enforcing the law
and to JiQ careful in selecting persons who aro
to prosecute violators of the law.
2. We must continue tho educational work In
favor of total abstinonoo. In Its last analysis
prohibition must rost upon tho oonvlotlon that
alcohol Is injurious and this must bo taught to
each generation. It will bo oasior to toach this
when drinking Is no longer rospoclablo in poll
tics, in business or in society. But tho odu ra
tional work must go on In order that ouch year
may find tho sentiment mora and mora nearly
unanimous.
3. Wo must holp tho world outside. Chris
tianity would not grow In tho United Slatos tt
our churches woro not lntorostod in missionary
work. A man cannot onjoy religion without
wanting to bring to othors tho knowlodgo of the
blosslngs which ho has rooelvod. And so, having
abolished tho saloon on tho theory that total
abstinence will bo a blessing to our country, wo
.cannot onjoy that blosslng without doslrlng to
communicate to others a knowlodgo of tho bono,
fits rocelved. Thoro must bo complcto on force
in on t of tho law giving to our country tho
maximum good derlvablo from total abstinence
and wo must not only send abroad those who
can explain luny. prohibition is In practlco but wo
must invito representatives from othor countries
to come hero and soo for themselves what has
been wrought by tho overthrow of tho drinking
placo. Prohibition began In tho rural districts and
spread through tho agricultural states boforo it
became strong in tho states containing tho cities.
But as prohibition enforced, vindicated itself, tho
sentiment spread until now it has bocomo a na
tional policy and will ultimately bocomo a world
policy, because It rests upon principles that aro
universal in their application. Tho argument
against drink applies to all who are now living;
it applies to all who have ever lived; it will
apply to all who may bo born hereafter.
1. God never made alcohol necessary for body,
mind or soul.
2. Ho never mado a human being strong
enough to begin the use of alcohol and bo sura
that ho would not becomo its victim.
3. There is no time between tho cradlo and
tho grave at Mhich it la safo to begin tho uso
of intoxicating liquor.
If these propositions are true hero, they aro
true every where; and if truo every where thoro
is tho same reason for prohibition In other lands
that thoro is hero. Tho church must lead this
fight becauso in addition to tho reasons which
others havo the Christian has obligations in
separable from his church relationship.
1. Having given hlmsalf in pledgo of servico'
to God and to Christ, ho has no moral right to
take into his body that which will impair tho
value oZ the service pledged or to risk tho forma
tion of a habit which, when formed, may destroy
his disposition to service as well as his capacity
for sorvlce.
2. The Christian, no matter how rich ho is,
has no money to spare for Intoxicating liquor
when so many noblo causes need all tho money
that ho has to spare. How can ho go down on
his knees at morning and pray to his Heavenly
Father, "Thy Kingdom Come," and then rise up
and spend for intoxicating liquor money that
might bo used to hasten the coming of God's
Kingdom on earth?
3. How can tho Christian justify throwing his
Influence on the sldo of a habit which ha3
brought tons of thousands of victims to the grave
every year? Our religion is propagated by ex
ample that Is tho one argument which no op
position can overthrow tho Christian's exam
ple, therefore, must be on tho sido of total ab
stinence. Let us rejoice In the redemption of our own
land from this great curse and, without pausing,
proceed to do tho larger work that lies before us.
W. J. BRYAN.
TWO KINDS
Roughly speaking, profiteers may bo divided
Into two classes. During tho war wo had prof
iteers who charged high prices becauso there was
plenty of money around. Now wo have tho
profiteer who holds jip the high prices on tho
theory that tho people still havo a little change
left and that ho must "get his" before tho
money is all gono. Meanwhile, the plundering
still continues.
Republicans protested very loudly because tho'
President did not consider it necessary to call
a special session of congress immediately after
the 4th of March. Tho fact that tho chief profit
derived from a special session would be by re
publicans who wero slated for gooxl offices did
not, of course, havo anything to do with their
conclusion in the matter.
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