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Prohibition is a word that has a comparative rather than an absolute meaning, for it has a wide range of application, both as to the article prohibited and as to the extent or degree of the forbidden use or sale of that article. However, in recent days it has been so constantly associated in the public mind with the liquor traffic that this has come to be the accepted interpretation of the word, though even here the meaning varies with the extent of the area involved, and also the extent of the restriction imposed. That is, prohibition may become effective in a small municipality or in a whole province or state, or even in a whole country, and it may forbid the sale alone or the sale and manufacture, as well as the exportation and importation of alcoholic liquors. We may add also that up to the present time prohibition bans the sale of alcohol for beverage purposes only, but permits it for other ordinary uses—mechanical, medicinal, sacramental, etc.

So much for the definition—and now for a bit of history.

About half a century ago a wave of prohibition sentiment swept over the Eastern United States and Canada, but it was soon checked, either because the sentiment formed was not based on a foundation sufficiently strong to stand the test, or because about that time the traffic became organized and not only presented a stronger opposition to those who attacked it, but presented new phases of the situation which had to be met. To understand the history of the movement it is necessary to note that the circumstance which seemed to give greatest permanency and strength to the traffic and to baffle all attempts to overthrow it was that in order to increase the revenue of the country the government of the United States placed a tax on alcoholic liquors—a tax on the manufacture and importation as well as the wholesale and retail trade. This had very far-reaching results. It raised the trade commercially to the dignity of a business. It gave the assurance of government favor and protection. The money received in the form of taxes loomed so large in the public mind and seemed such a necessary contribution to the revenue that for years all efforts to curtail the trade seemed utterly futile. The only case where the earlier prohibitory legislation survives till the present day is in the State of Maine, and that has been in existence since 1851.

A few years later another wave of prohibition seemed to sweep the United States and several states enacted laws prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors, but of these only two have retained the law—Kansas law dates to 1880 and North Dakota 1889. During these years the fight became so intense that it was considered wise to reduce the area of prohibition territory to be sought for so the test was most frequently made in a small town or municipality, and we came to have what is generally known as local option or local veto, and for many years prohibitionists were divided among themselves as to whether the large or small area was more effective. However, the fight for local and, in some cases, county prohibition, was carried on with varying degrees of success, and in the United States and in the Eastern provinces of Canada, gained considerable headway and no doubt played a very important part in creating a sentiment that made a wider prohibition movement possible, but for some reason local option never gained much popularity in the West, whether for the reason that Westerners believe in doing things on a larger scale or whether the fact that they came into the fight at a later date when the larger area was growing more popular made the difference we cannot tell, but at any rate local option did not flourish.

As a fight for prohibition always includes a propaganda against drink itself it can readily be seen that one result of a continuous educational campaign would be a growing sentiment in favor of total abstinence, as well as an aroused public conscience in the matter of continuing a traffic which was attended by so much that was evil and demoralizing. Thus, while in the West there were no signal victories for local option, yet the local option campaigns served the very important purpose of developing a sentiment which finally culminated in a definite campaign for provincial prohibition.

It may be noted here that in all local prohibitory laws the powers of the people were limited to forbidding the sale of liquors, but no authority might be exercised as to the manufacture, importation or sale. Indeed, this is true of provincial prohibition, as in Canada these matters are wholly under the control of the Dominion government. In the United States the federal government controls importation and inter-state trade, but the states may prohibit manufacture and sale. One of the earliest fights for provincial prohibition was made by Manitoba when, some years ago, a government was elected with a definite promise to enact a liquor law which was practically the same as that in effect in our own province today, but that government repudiated its promise and for years the people had to keep up the fight for what should long ago have been their law. In the meantime Prince Edward Island enacted provincial prohibition, and for some years was the only province to thus honor itself. But in the past few years a new wave has swept the country and in quick succession Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan by a vote of the people enacted prohibitory laws. The other provinces followed and now every province in the Dominion except Quebec is under prohibition, and it goes dry in 1919. True, in some of the provinces—Ontario and New Brunswick, I believe—this is only a war measure, but the probability is that the open bar will never return.

These provincial laws have been rendered somewhat ineffective and were made very difficult to enforce because of the fact that the Dominion permitted the manufacture and inter-provincial shipment and temperance workers felt well-nigh helpless, but in December, 1917, the Dominion government as a war measure by order-in-council prohibited the further manufacture and importation of distilled liquors in March, 1918, further restriction was placed on the manufacture of beer and shipments into prohibition territory were forbidden. This strengthens the hands of provincial governments and makes law enforcement much more simple.

In the United States they are keeping pace with us. Already twenty-eight states, besides Alaska and the District of Columbia have enacted prohibitory laws, and in December, 1917, a constitutional amendment granting national prohibition passed both houses of Congress and now awaits ratification by the various state legislatures.

So much for the onward march of prohibition on this continent. Crossing to Europe we find that every country affected by the war is under some measure of prohibition, but some of the smaller northern countries had passed prohibitory laws before the war began. These are Iceland, Finland and Denmark. The present world shortage of food has been one of the most potent factors in bringing about present conditions, and accounts for the fact that so many of our laws are war measures, but it is hoped that the benefits derived will be so evident that never again will the people be willing to submit to rum rule.

To this end we must work for the enforcement of the laws we have and the enlightenment of our people on the question of the real nature of beer and wine. These must be included in every effective prohibition measure and our campaign of education must be carried on in that direction. In the meantime we rejoice in the wonderful advancement made both in sentiment and legislation.

THE END

PLAINDEALER PRINT, YOUNGSTOWN, ALTA.

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