Indiana Daily Times

DRYS WARNED
TO BE ALERT
Claim Liquor Interests Seek
to Appoint Officials Friend-
ly to Booze.
BOSTON. Jan. 8.—Though the prohi-
bition amendment to the constitution of
the United States is to go into effect on
Jan. 16 and under the Volstead act am-
ple machinery for enforcement of the
law is provided, prohibition leaders are
emphasizing the need of an alert public
support if prohibition is to receive full
justification in the eyes of the world. Men
close in touch with the situation assert
that the liquor interests are not passing
any opportunities to discredit prohibi-
tion and are at present extremely active
in their efforts to secure appointment as
prohibition enforcement officials of men
whose sympathies are known to be with
the distillers and brewers.
"It would surprise the public," said a
prohibition leader to a representative of
the Christian Science Monitor, if they
knew the history of a great many of the
candidates for prohibition enforcement
positions in this state alone, and the
situation that exists here is only a du-
plicate of what exists in practically every
state. With our knowledge of the his-
tory of the sale of liquor in Massachu-
setts we are able to identify these men as
anti-prohibitionists and likely to prove
inactive and inefficient officials for no
other reason than to discredit prohibi-
tion and obstruct the coming of the mul-
titude of benefits which a full measure
of enforcement is sure to bring to the
people of this country.
"Everywhere influences are at work to
defeat prohibition. Every untoward cir-
cumstance is twisted and contorted into
an argument against the greatest bless-
ing that has fallen upon this country
in generations. Incidents that have no
relation to the operation of prohibition
are flaunted before the eyes of the peo-
ple as arguments in favor of a return
to conditions which unquestionably
would furnish material for the flame
which those who would destroy our
democracy are seeking to fan into life.
And to further attempt to bolster up
their cause, which ultimately must go
down to defeat, the liquor interests are
doing their utmost to defeat many clean
virile American candidates for office and
elect those whose affiliations are such
as to give promise of subservience to
their dictation.
"The dry forces, therefore, must be
exceedingly alert in the first year or
two of prohibition. Every true American
citizen, believes in law and order and
just and impartial enforcement. He is
already noting the beneficial effects of
a regime of war-time prohibition and
he shudders at the thought of what
might have happened in the various
great industrial disturbances that have
visited the United States since the war
ended had the open sale of liquor been
permitted. It is a pretty fair assump-
tion that candidates for public office
who are known to be friends of prohi-
bition are in general clean men who
will serve the people honestly and well.
The people, therefore, we feel sure, will
give their support to these men rather
than to jeopardize the future of a move-
ment that is to mean so much to the
world."