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Show TILL WHKKK HE STANDS ON THE IlltV LAWS Editor Telegram: There appeared in the columns of your paper under the heading "Letters to the Editor" a letter from one who "changes his mind about prohibition." inasmuch as I. among many others, oth-ers, have also changed my mind about prohibition, and in order that the general public may have a few-facts few-facts with regard to the situation, which is being so constantly put before be-fore it today. I respectfully submit the following "Facts vs. Fiction" by Charles Scanlon. from the Christian Science Monitor, which I believe will prove equally as important and interesting in-teresting to your readers as the letter let-ter above referred to: Fiction Prohibition was hastily enacted. Fact For more than 100 years prohibition was intensively and extensively ex-tensively studied and discussed. No question ever decided by the American Ameri-can people was better understood. Fiction Prohibition was the will and act of the minority. Fact Before national prohibition went into effect thirty-four states, acting separately for themselves, had adopted prohibition More than three-fifths of the people and four-fifths four-fifths of the territory of the country were under prohibition. The eighteenth eight-eenth amendment was submitted by a vote of more than two-thirds of both houses of the United States congress and has been ratified by 46 of the 48 states, or by 23 24ths of them. The only two states which have failed to ratify to date, Connecticut Con-necticut and Rhode Island, have less than one-thirty-fifth of the population popula-tion and a trifle more than one five-hundredth five-hundredth of the continental area, and if the water which is included in these states is not counted, the area is further reduced by more than 300 square miles. Fiction Prohibition was "put over" ov-er" while America's soldiers were away. Fact The congress which submitted submit-ted prohibition to the states was elected el-ected (November, 1916) five months before war was declared on Germany Ger-many (April 1917.) American soldiers sol-diers are not drunkards. They helped help-ed Kentucky to enact prohibition after af-ter their return in 1919, raised the prohibition majority in Ohio from 28,000 to nearly 42.000 and in Michigan Mich-igan from 68.000 to 207,000. Fiction Prohibition is unconstitutional. unconsti-tutional. Fact By a unanimous opinion of the United1 States supreme court, of 1920, both the eighteenth amendment amend-ment and1 the Volsted enforcement code were declared to be constitutional. constitu-tional. Fiction More liquor is consumed than before prohibition Fact In 1917. the "last year before be-fore prohibition went into effect. 600 distilleries in the United States produced pro-duced 168,000.000 gallons of spirituous spirit-uous liquor. In the same year 12 breweries produced 1.885,000,000 gallons of beer. The first year under constitutional prohibition three distilleries dis-tilleries were in operation and 28.-000.000 28.-000.000 gallons of spirits were consumed, con-sumed, while beer practically disappeared. disap-peared. The liquor imported was '.ess than one-half of one per cent of the consumption of pre-prohibition days. Fiction Prohibition interferes with personal liberty. Fact So do the ten commandments, command-ments, according to the testimony of .'very liar, thief, libertine and blasphemer. blas-phemer. Fiction Prohibition makes hypocrites. hypo-crites. Fact The treason and anarchy preached and practiced by the liquor people will, of course, make patriots and1 Christians. Fiction Prohibition cannot be enforced. en-forced. Fact Prohibition and every other law for the good of the people, can be enforced by placing men in authority auth-ority who have the inclination, courage cour-age and ability to do what they are paid and sworn to do. Expressing my appreciation for the privilege your columns afford citizens in bringing items of general interest to the public, I am Sincerely yours, W CLYDE PRICE Salt Lake Telegram. |