American Agriculturist, July 7,1923 
5 
Are Farm People For Prohibition? 
Emphatic Letters on Both Sides of the Question—Be Sure To Vote 
Editor’s Note.—L etters are coming thick and By a. A. READERS people were blinded to allow the enactment of 
fast in response to our editorial “Do Farm People * ’ which Volstead is guilty. 
lof Y e ou a wiM r noticf Are we dealing with whiskey in a more in- So far so good. The law suppressing saloons 
that the letters represent both sides of the argu- telligent manner to-day? would have done well enough and would prob- 
ment, and you will also note that they are direct The days of prohibition are surely num- ably be found good yet by the majority. But 
from the shoulder. Let them come, and if ( you bered if some men continue to own barrels the lawmakers, whipped in line by some urn 
don’t ha ve time to write, you at least can vote “yes” 0 f liquor and the great majority of our popu- seen power and unknown but guessed at 
youi^fricnds ancTsee that^farm ^pink)? ^counted lation continue to find it impossible to ob- made it a crime to make, to barter, to sell or 
on this great problem. tain small quantities for their own many give away alcohol or anything containing al- 
uses. cohol, not only attacking personal liberty but 
I READ the letter in your issue of June I for one think it should be our own affairs compelling the farming communities to allow 
16 heading your article “Are Farm what we eat and drink in a free country and to go to waste a large quantity of material 
People for Prohibition?” If they are not be blessed with such a fine country that which collected and turned to industrial al- 
not they certainly ought to be, and so its citizens must consider a fine every day of cohol would prove a boon to the whole 
should every other organization in the United their lives. country. 
States. If taxes and other expenses must be Would it not be as near right to prohibit Kindly stop thinking of alcohol as a bever- 
kept "down by allowing intoxicating liquors certain kinds of food because we have a age and turn your thoughts to the useful- 
back then let them soar. few gluttons, as to prohibit certain kinds of ness of the liquid. In this time of coal dis- 
< The writer of the letter does not allow drink because we have a few drunkards? tress, alcohol would keep us warm by its 
his or her name published and I can’t say When a large percentage of the population genial flame in the stove, would cook our 
I blame him, I wouldn’t either ‘ meals, could run the engine or 
if I held such views. Says ____—- the automobile, but perhaps gaso- 
he is a strict abstainer, but “I am Prohibition Yes? No? !j ne and f kei ' ose l ie migkt hav * t( J 
from Missouri” and don’t believe rroniDition — 1 es. iMO. drop a few cents a gallon. Coal 
anyone who is a “strict ab- tao you wan t prohibition? The most discussed and most important would not be so much a necessity 
Stainer” has any such views •*-' problem in America to-day is the Eighteenth Amendment. Do aild With a distillery in a COlin- 
There certainly is"no curse about the American people want prohibition? The wets emphatically say try neighborhood, farmers could 
m-nhihitinn nnd if this fair coun- “ n0 ’” and the drys ar ?. e 3 e ? more emphaticaily for it. Both sides take their all cu p f ru its, corn, 
piomoition ana II tnis iail C l claim a majority. Which is right? What do farm people think r>ntntnp<? P f P P f P oc t} 1PV tnkp 
try of ours isn t to be a second about it? potatoes, etc., etc., as tney take 
Russia it is time we get together A majority of farmers think sanely and straight, and their opinions, gram to the mill or the milk to 
„ tir ] atamn intnviVfltinp-drinks therefore, on any problem, if they will express them, goes far in the creamery, thereby receiving 
pntiuplv determining the outcome. Farm people are busy and are slow to freightage Oil fuel and turning 
Ulinery. . express their opinions in writing; therefore, things get by that are • . i nrndnpts fhp trpmpndous 
I suppose the writer is one of against their interests. 10 hy-proaucts tne uemencious 
those people who sit up and howl American Agriculturist is taking a vote of its 120,000 farm amount ot waste on the iarm 
ohrmt nrnhibition taking a man’s families on prohibition. It is a vital issue before the American brought about by the Volstead 
£ 1 1 Vn'm people. Whether you are for it or against it, be sure to vote on the A c t 
personal llbeity away liom , blank lines below. Cut it out and mail it to American Agriculturist, " G* , ^ i • u + Prr nr tn 
but if he IS an abstainer, why 461 Fourth Avenue, New York City. Your name will be kept con- II aiCOnOl IS SUCn a teilOl 10 
should he care whether people fidential, unless you wish it signed. Get other voting members of mankind why has the Lreator 
‘ire allowed to make booze or your family and your neighbors to send in their vote. made it SO plentiful? 
‘ f T , lrri fnv prohibition and Just answer the following questions either here or on another piece Let the prohibitionists turn 
™ws so sTrik every bootlegger * »■*" — — “ in ' their eyes to the results of their 
and still owner in the United l. Are you for the Eighteenth Amendment as it now stands, with work; a large majority of our 
States goes behind the bars and strict enforcement of all prohibition laws? Answer yes or no. citizens maae outlaws, but not 
utive thprp TT^p vrmr own nleas- . caught, secret drunkenness caused 
ure ’ about ‘ publishing thus and 2. Are you for light wines and beers?. by homebrews of thousands of 
sio-h mv name if you like._D. B., if y° u want to give us your reasons for your answer, use another various recipes, ot compounds far 
Chemung ^Co. N" Y. * * sheet of paper. more injurious than ever beer or 
3 Name .’.. wine properly made and aged 
does the tail wag the dog? could be, thousands debilitated by 
TN your June -16, 1923 issue of 4 ‘ Address . vile drugs bought in the secret 
1 American Agriculturist, you -- ■■■■■■ —T . rT— -- ■ - ; markets of outlawry, thousands 
ask that farmers write you short . . engaged in smuggling prohibited 
letters giving their views on prohibition. It of any community are compelled to submit liquids, looting of government warehouses, 
would be hard indeed for me, a born farmer, to a famine in some line of goods they con- big expenses trying to enforce in time of 
to give my views in a short letter. I can give sider necessary, it surely is a case of the tail peace a measure thought good in war time, 
you a plain answer however in the com- wagging the dog.—E. A. G., Wayne Co., N. Y. And the result is nil, as any one desiring it 
monly accepted terras of the day by saying, bettfs drink- ?? n p I 0Cure A th T e £ av ° red , dl : inks „ if he has 
though the whole world may be dry, 1 am milk is a beiter drink the pl - lce .— a. L. 1., Bucks Co., Pa. 
WP f TUST a line to let you know that I am one 
Did not Christ turn water into wine at a J in favor of prohibition, the 18th amend- 80 PER CENT E0R ’ N0T 70 A AINST 
notable wedding that all might make merry? ment, and its most vigorous enforcement. TTAVING just read an article written by 
1 know our laws are not. perfect, as one whom Why should any farmer wish to bear the 11 one of your readers in regard to the pop- 
I had befriended swore to a big untruth, and burden of the pauperism, imbecility and ular sentiment among the farm organizations 
a number of others to make the first one good, crime caused by booze. Milk is a better as to the repeal of the Volstead Act, I de- 
and defrauded me out of several thousand and safer drink for the workingman than cidecl to give my views on this matter, 
dollars a few years ago. beer. . The writer stated he believes seventy per 
There seems to be no remedy in law for If the idle rich will have the stuff, let him cent of our farm organizations favor repeal, 
some of the most outrageous wicked and in- pay bootleg prices and run the risk of that this law was as unwelcomed as a rattle- 
human acts of our fellow men on which the “Crossing the Bar.” There should be “no snake in bed. He later states he is a total ab- 
law places its stamo of approval. sadness of farewell” when he departs. To stainer. He may be, but those who generally 
It is the abuse of alcoholic liquors, not their compare prohibition with a rattlesnake seems experience snakes in bed are the ones who 
use that causes trouble. I for one cannot agree too funny. I always have supposed that it imbibe excessively. He may be a total ab- 
that this question is settled as it should be was the light wine and beer that acted like stainer as he states, as far as drink goes, 
at this year of the twentieth century when that.—0. L. S., Washington Co., N. Y. and truly he is as far as sensible thinking 
linnnv io La'nHlprl onpvilv and at the hi eh and sane reasoning goes, 
prices that prevail In our cities. As to quality alcohol more than a beverage The law was never enacted to aid the ab- 
0 f liquor drank to-day we need only consult "YrOUR item “Are Farm People for Prohib- stainer, but to remove the curse ot drink 
our daily papers. * X ition?” in June 16 number has interested from those who do, and the children growing 
Contrast this with the condition of affairs me to the extent of sending you my ideas on up, and not permit such an outrage to go on 
that existed within the memory of many the subject. legalized by our Government. Intoxicating 
men now living when good whiskey was sold War time conditions and pre-war habits drink in any form never did any of us 
at our general stores & at about 20 cents per pre-disposed the people to favor prohibition. any good. 
ft . a p on- Excitement was in the air and the alcohol On the contrary it has done much to 
~ In 1794 George Washington called out fif- drinking habit made it rather a necessity to make fools,_ paupers, murderers and what 
teen thousand of the militia in Pennsylvania stop gatherings in saloons and all other not, out of what would have been with- 
to compel the payment of a tax on whiskey. causes of excitement and the eyes of the (Continued on page 10) 
I 
