PROHIBITION COLUMN

Evening Star, Issue 19634, 13 August 1927, Page 14

PROHIBITION COLUMN

[Published by Arrangement with the United Temperance Reform Council.] The man who votes for license ought to be willing that his son should die a drunkard. The open liquor shop, which his vote helps to establish, ho knows will ensnare (he feet of somebody’s boy; why should it not be, in the eternal law of fitness, his own child? PROHIBITION REVOLUTIONISED NEW YORK SLUMDO.M. Saloons gave to New York the worst slums in the world. In any of East Side neighborhoods scores of tenement saloons, recking groggorics in cellars, sailors’ danco halls with unspeakable reputations, lined the streets. It would seem that half the population lived by robbing the poor witless drunkard. From one of these reeking, filthy holes came New York’s most remarkable and strongest politician of two decades ago, Timothy D. Sullivan, promoted by Boss Crokcr to be the leader of tho Bowery Assembly district, owner of a chain of saloons which catered to and propagated vice and crime. In 1908 and 1909 New Y T ork was practically run by combinations of this type of saloon-keeper. What about to-day? “Nous avons changes! tout ccia.” SCOTCH WHISKY MUCH SCARCER. John A. Dewar, chairman of directors of Dewart’s whisky, is reported to have said at an interview, in Chicago on March 29; “In spite of what your informants may allege, there is very little Scotch now being brought into the United States.” ONE MILLION LIVES SAVED BY PROHIBITION Through marked’decrease in the National death-rate during live years. Health of tho whole nation greatly improved. At the annual congress on medical education recently hold in Chicago; Dr Arthur Dean Bevun made some remarks which have received wide publicity. He said: “From the standpoint of personal hygiene and public health, no legislation lias over been passed which had such possibilities for good as the Prohibition amendment. If it were in the power of the nation to legislate tuberculosis or cancer out of existence, such legislation would bo passed lorthwith and strictly enforced. _ Drink did more injury to the people of this country under the old order ol tilings than either of those plagues. Prohibition has accomplished an enormous amount of good, and with bettor enforcement can accomplish much .more lor tho health and welfare of our people.” WOMEN AND PROHIBITION. On his ninetieth birthday Chaunccy Dcpew was inlervciwed by some newspaper men. Here is part of the conversation Do you believe in Prohibition? Yes. Can it bo repealed? No. Why? Women! The women of tho WIC.T.U. are justifying his faith by helping to build a tea'll of defence around Prohibition that will bo unassailable. When National Prohibition was carried iu tho United States, women did not have a vote. Since then the women have been enfranchised.

EDUCATIONA L FIGURES. HOW PROHIBITION CAME TO AMERICA. Air Guy HayJcr, of London, has published the following figures showing how tho United States slowly but surely, won their way to National Prohibition. They are full of encouragement to all who are working for this reform all tho world over. The statement covers a period of fourteen years;-

National Prohibition was adopted in 1920., PRE VE N TID N BETTER TIIA N CURE. This rescue work is good, hut is it good enough? There is surely something better than cure. The Christian church has sung the praises of tho Good Samaritan all down through the centuries —ami rightly so—it was an exquisite tiling that ho did. But how much better it would have boon, how much .more common sense and statesmanlike. if the authorities in Jerusalem and Jericho had joined their forces and cleaned up the notorious road that connected those two cities, had searched out all tho nests of robbers that infested that road, and made the road safe for travellers to pass up and down. That would have been vastly hotter than simply sending a kind-hearted man down there oneo in a while to pick up a wounded man, and to nurse him back to health and strength. Prevention is better than cure, always and everywhere. Good Samaritanism is good, but not good enough. CLEAN UP THE HOAD. The church has been content for a long time to play the part of tho Good Samaritan, to pick up the drunks and tho dead-beats, and the poor, helpless victims of alcohol, at the back doors of the hotels, A thousand times more sensible to nail up the front doors of tho hotels and prevent this cursed trade from wrecking and ruining so many precious human lives. Wo would not discourage the work of the Good Samaritan, but we do most earnestly urge the duty of prevention. Abolish the trade that, is responsible for such a fearful lot of human wreckage. Destroy the great destroyer. Clean up the road. MILL THEY DO IT? I In their total membership, in their aggregate property holdings, in their combined intellectual, social, and moral influence, the churches represent enormous power, and where united for one end they arc capable of almost any achievement in tho interests of the public. In all respects named tho churches together far outweigh the combined interests of the liquor dealers, and if they acted as harmoniously and solidly together as tho latter do, would have no difficulty in accomplishing their puim.se. Acting as one strong arm, they could strike a blow at the liquor curse from which it would never recover. A PARASITE AND WORSE. The liquor traffic, has frequently and rightly been described _as a parasite. It'is. more than that; it, is a malariabringing mosquito; and if civilisation is to be really healthy and progressive, it must remove from its midst a traffic which not, merely saps its vitality, but poisons tho very springs of its well-be-ing.

Dry Wet Year. Stales. States. ] 9U6 ... 1! 45 1907 ... 4 44 .1903 ... ’) 49 1909 ... 8 40 19Ju ... 8 4d 1911 ... 8 40 1919 191,.! ... 8 ... 8 40 40 1914 ... 9 99 191.1 ... 1 1 97 191(1 ... 19 99 1917 ... '-’’I ‘111 1918 98 90 1919 ... 1(1