Prohibitionist no Longer

Evening Star, Issue 19918, 14 July 1928, Page 5

Prohibitionist no Longer

American Woman’s Experience Vices Worse Than Drunkenness Law Must be Modified [Bv Pauline Morton Sabin, in the New York 1 Outlook.’ Mrs Sabin is the wife of Charles H. Sabin, Chairman of the Board of the Guaranty Trust Company, and a member of the Republican National Committee.J

We have a Prohibition law. It is embedded in the Constitution. We have had it for eight years. If it means anything and is to be taken seriously it means that no person in the United States shall be able to obtain anything to drink that may be intoxicating. Millions of people are discussing it. It is the prevailing topic of conversation in every walk of life. Everyone is analysing and estimating the effect of this effort to compel all Americans to bo total abstainers. I have watched its workings during the years, commencing in a sympathetic frame of mind. 1 have reached certain conclusions, and am willing to set them down here, conscious of my fallibility but anxious to contribute my little bit toward a wise solution. lb is true that we no longer sco the corner saloon, but in many cases has it not merely moved to the back of a store nr up one flight under the name of a 11 speak easy ■’? It is true that in our- universities groups of boys can no longer go together to a “Rathskeller” and drink their beer genially and in the open, la it not true that they arc making their own gin and drinking it furtively in their rooms? Indeed, the authori-, ties of certain colleges have instituted the practice of searching tbo students’ rooms without their consent and during their absence. lb is against flic law to soli alcoholic beverages, but hundreds of _ thousands of respected citizens are daily conniving at tho breaking of that law by buying it. And most of them realise that the beverage reaches them through channels extending through a long line of law violation and corruption down to the consumer. In my opinion the majority of women with young children favoured Prohibition because they felt that when the Eighteenth Amendment was enacted drinking to excess would never bo a problem in their children’s lives, that temptation would be completely clinunated. But now they are wondering and troubled about the result. They have found that their children are growing up with a total lack of respect for the Constitution and for the law. , Wo must admit that many of the parents are responsible for_ this attitude among tho young, owing to the example they set in breaking this partiuular law. In connection with the attitude of tho youth of the nation to-day towards the Constitution, I want to cite two incidents which have been brought to niv attention recently. The first is "the case of six boys between the ages of fifteen and eighteen who were students at one of tho oldest and most respected private schools in the country. An older person asked these boys a few questions regarding the Constitution of the United (Mates.

Nob one of them had any knowledge of the Constitution or its amendments, with the exception of the Eighteenth, and in chorus they shouted they knew about that. Tlio manner in which they said it proved that they held that amendment in great derision. To my mind this was a shocking revelation. I do not deny that this situation was largely the lault of both the school and tho parents of tho uoys for not having taught them about Lae most sacred of our political documents. How unfortunate that the Eighteenth Amendment should typify the tion to our children —the one amendment which, they are conscious >s not being upheld, and the one amendment which many of us feel is contrary to tho spirit of the rest of the Constitution, as it is the only .amendment which curtails personal liberty, the only one which attempts to control the habits of a human being. Tho other incident 1 have niimi occurred at tho conference which was called last year by one of the colleges, and to which the various preparatory schools wore asked to scud a represen-, tative hoy to discuss the ‘‘transition period botwdeen school and college.” A hoy I know was selected to represent Ills school. Ho has since told mo that one of tho subjects discussed was the pros and cons of drinking at college. The discussion lasted Jor over an hour, each bov having something to contribute to the subject. It was approached; from various angles—the effect ol drinking on athletics, cm scholastic standing, and on a hoy’s reputation as a good fellow. Not once during the discussion did any boy mention tlio fact that Prohibition was tho law ol the land. In other words, that phase of tho situation was completely ignored, just as though the Eighteenth Amendment had never been enacted. In my opinion this is an eloquent commentary on the status of Prohibition among the younger generation. [ was one of tho women who Savoured Prohibition when i heard it discussed in tho abstract, but. 1 am now convinced that it has been proved a failure. Its effect upon tho coining generation is so grave and so serious that all women who have come to tins conclusion (and ! believe there aie many thousands ol them) should organise and work for a repeal pi the Eighteenth Amendment, and in us phTce a substitution of some law that will bring about true temperance and respect for law. The adoption of the Eighteenth Amendment was duo to a great extent to the influence and cltqrts of women. They conscientiously believed that tlio result would ho beneficial; but J think there has been a tremendous change in the sentiment of women during remit years.

A SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONNAIRE

The Women’s National Republican Club sent out a questionnaire on 1 imbibition to 3,000 Republican women in thirtv-cigbt Btatcs, to which they rereived 1,500 replies—which is an amazingly high percentage to receive on any questionnaire, and which proved that tho women of tho country lelt the senousness of this situation and welcomed an opportunity to express themselves. Of tho 1,500 women only 10. voted to retain tho present law; the other 1, voted for cilhed modification of tho Volstead Act, permitting light wine and beers; Government control; or \epcal of tho Eighteenth Amendment with a substitution of local option in the various Slates. , . . , As far as 1 know, this is the only questionnaire of its kind that has been sent to women, and 1 cannot help but fee! that when tho result was published in the Press it surprised the majority ot tho people who read it. i can understand this, because the women who favour Prohibition nrc oignuised ■ such as tho Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the Law Enfoicement League. They have tremendous publicity; they appear before hearings of tho various Legislatures and Congress and do not hesitate to state that “ they speak for the women ot America.” This, I know, is not tho fact. It may be that they speak tor ft great many, but their number is steadily diminishing, and, in my opinion, as soon as the women who aro opposed to Prohibition organise and become articulate they will bo able to do more towards bringing about a change in tho conditions which exist to-day than any organisation composed solely of men. IS is interesting to note that those who favour Prohibition put that issue ahead of all others. I find this particularly true among women. In almost ever/ instance the woman who is a socnlle’d “dry” judges a candidate entirely upon his stand on that one issue; she will support a man who is a so-called “ dry ” without even taking enough interest to question his stand on other matters, such as National defence, immigration, tariff', and taxation, all of which are of vital importance to our country. She has what some of us call a “ one-plank mind. Some men and women even go so rar as to accuse those who have tho courage of their convictions and are willing to jeopardise their political futures by advocating a change of seeking to nullify tho Constitution. They forget that the Bill of Rights assures to every person in tho land tho enjoyment ol

freedom ol .speech, that the right ol free and open discussion is essential, i. wj are to solve our problems* that it one citizen is justified in urging tho enactment of a law, another citizen is equally justified in urging its repeal if ho has reached tho Inmost conviction that the law is evil. On the other hand, 1 have never seen a woman who was opposed to Prohibition refuse to support a candidate who favoured Prohibition it Ins record on other issues was coininenuable. Another curious thing about some women who favour Prohibition is time they sometimes support men who they know personally break tho Prohibition lav. hut who niiiiey feel they can count upon to voto to sustain it. At this time a serious burden rests on tho men and women who have political responsibility. 1 believe the time has come to state frankly one s attitude in regard to tho Prohibition law. Tho whole question is befogged in insincerity. Men and women who know in their hearts that Prohibition lias not been and cannot bo cniorced, who know that it is breeding contempt for our Constitution, making hypocrites of many people, and costing our Government millions ol dollars, arc unwilling to commit themselves publicly because they aro fearful of antagonising or afraid of offending some element of'public opinion. I have a wholesome respect lor the consistent “dry ” who believes in tho Volstead Act, and lives up* 1 to it. 1 have no respect for tho person who i who believes Prohibition to be a failure and is afraid to express ids honest convictions.

I have little respect for the person who votes one way and lives another. Unfortunately, I ‘know this practice exists among many of our public officials

I have little respect lor the person who. because ho is able to p/urchaso all of the alcoholic beverages ho may need for his personal use, is too lazy or too indifferent to make it possible for one less fortunate financially to obtain the same product at a reasonable figure. I am convinced that, eventually, there will have to lie a meeting ot minds so that the Prohibition law may he amended in some manner so as to bring about the temperance which is desired by every one. And this can only be accomplished by complete tolerance of one another’s point ot view.