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About La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 1931)
Saturday, February 21, 1931 LA GRANDE EVENING OBSERVER, LA GRANDE, ORE, m V : '., HV ' . . rM.k ...... ranning the country? I wiiii i iii ii ii ii iii ii.i i.ii r;irnfT'ii riTfH"nTT"irrni n i itht HERE'S a lot of talk now-a-days about crime and; prohibition. Of course there has always been 'crime JUL But there has np always; been prohibition. qii natural to ask : Is the crime situation today materially different from what it .:was before prohibition? D. George W, Kirchwey, President American Institute of Pritrinal Law and Criminology, former Pean of Columbia University School of - I,aw 'and' former! Warden of Sing Sing . prison, said in the Iew York Times of Way 26, 192; "V. . the official record covering the eighteen years 1910 to 1927, inclusive, , .'. shows a marked decMe of from 35 tqOi , p er c e n t in the general crime rate in the United States.'' , , And this in a period of post-war reconstruction when the normal expectancy would be an increase, not a decrease, m crrnie! .. :; Liquor advocates sometimes charge that the bootleggers -i are running the country. 1 5 It would be too bad f or ;''neica t if that were true! No one will deny that there is bp.pjtleggig and that bootlegging has evil "effects. But cotraty. to the belief of many bootlegging is not the step. :C$U1 $ prohibition. Long before the Eighteenth Amenqejt vs! ever thought of, we had thousands of moonshine stills and tens of thousands of "blind pigs" and deplorably corrupt politics and liquor-bred law violations of every kind. Liquor and crime have always been boon companions. If the bootlegger of today shapes his laws to suit his own desires, he is only carrying forward and in pigmy fashion lessons which were taught by the liquor interests of anearlier day! As a remder of conditions existing before prohibition, iV W interesting to review the foUo(wing editorial from the Chicago Tritwhe 1917 : "If the secret records of the brewing and distilling industries were ever brought jo Ught' they would tell a story of social and political corruption uri--eiualledi in . the annals of our history, "Jf the veritable narrative 'of the American saloon were ever written, it wou'ld make the decadence of Rome look like an age of pristine beauty in com parison'.'.'. If these men have not made a practice of comhiitting murder and arson, it is because these crimes did not seen immediateiy profitable. "The liquor business has been the faithful ally of ever vicious element ini American life! It has protected criminals, it 'as ' fostered the'sociaj evij and it has bribed politicians, juries and legislatures.' ' Even in the liquor trade itself, there were, those whose eyes were not closed OTHER MESSAGES IN THIS SERIES ARE AS FOLLOWS : , left. Have the TRUTH, About prohibition. Is Prohibition an Economic ' Suctess? ' Prohibition and Taxes. College Drinking let' & Have the Truth. Beer Pump or Filling Station? Drinking Before arid After the 18th 'Amendment. ' K , Crime and Prohibition. Is Prohibition Breeding Disrespect for the Law?' ' '- ' '- What Has Prohibition Had to Do With Hard Times?, - - ' ' V- ; Has Prohibition Helped or Hurt Business? if as Prohibition Made Amerlcd Better or ' Worse? " '' w -. 'i '' ' , What Do Business Men Say About Pro- hibition? ' - !'-'-'-! Why Do They Talk Wet and Vote Dry? ot ;.:erbl9.;':'f9eqiences. The National Liquog teaJec'srQViil of' "'September 10, 1913, said: ' V,T us there is the handwriting on the wall and, its interpretation spells doorri! The.' liquor business i$ to blame. It seems incapable of teafabi& any (essoh of'vadvainicenient or motive but profit. To perpetuate itself (U' has. fokih fcesiiitlie;'isjm8. . . . It deliberately aids the most cotrupt political powers ... Ttiere e billions of property involved .". ":. btat when'tHe peo ! eqi(4e that the truth is being told about the alcoholic liquor traffic $e hf'Talu wiU''lWj.' , ' ; ', ',''' ," Whereye .:thre. ; 'is .liquor, there will be Uquor-bred law efiace. Engii and Canada, with rig$4 gpyineht cotf truWe are, having problems of their pyntoii f qrmer!k day s Wl state liquor jaws and our local optiog laws' weyei not Respected by the liquor interests. Bribery, smuggling, iihder-cover law defiance were the usual orier. meht,V . says of the conditions in Ontario, which government-controlled liquor traffic, "The increase in num ber of arrests for violation of liquor laws, the steady hi cre ih! hootieggfeg and illicit distilling are muc eee,1 and the commissioners frankly state that they aref able to ' eradicate it.'. V : ' : " v' ' ''r.'-;. There is only one answer to the liquor problem. And tha answf r was given when we adopted the Eighteenth Amend meiit calling 10 compliete prohibition,, palf-way Measures hae eT3eef where and have proyed a f ailure. Sirleore lfs)$(f ai.'of the 'Commission, of economic experts who" recently came to the United States, said "No custom is more injurious, to the. British people than that of consuming alcohol either t-o excess or in moderation, 'i America has led the way in, clear thirds;-? ing and progressive action on the liquor, problem. The ratification of the Eight eenth Amendment by 46 of our 48; states proves that bvond all question!; An interesting booklet entitled "Let's Have The Truth About Prohibition will be sent free upon request to American Business Men's Prohibition Foundation, 7 . Dearborn St., Chicago, 111. The American Business Men's Pro hibition Foundation is incorpor ated in Illinois "not for profit" and Is a voluntary association organized' to collect, correlate and disseminate facts regarding the results of National Prohibition and its relation to the welfare and prog ress of the people of the United State. Your 1 personal contribn Hon, small or' large, win help. Attach your check or money order to coupon at riijhf and mail today. I WANT O; HELP I should like to further this educational program nnu encioso for the fund of the American Business Men's Prohibition Foundation. I j '' ' ' ' ( Na me . ' Addrcss- C Please send free booklet, "Let's Have the Truth, About Prohibition." ! Ma'l to: American Business Men's Prohibition Foundation, 7 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, III. Mi -L----1.- ------ - Copyright 1930 Let's Haye the TRUTH Abqut Prohibitiqn
