THE RISE AND FALL OF PROHIBITION [Illustration: (Publisher’s logo)] THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO · DALLAS ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. TORONTO [Illustration: I have seen hulking men enter a shop at nine in the morning, hastily tear off an ice-cream soda containing I know not what flavoring and dash out again into the world of business. No habitual drunkard could show a worse record. The soda-fiend is a sensualist, knowing nothing of the healthy ecstasy of comradeship. He is a solitary drinker of the worst sort.] THE RISE AND FALL OF PROHIBITION THE HUMAN SIDE OF WHAT THE EIGHTEENTH AMENDMENT AND THE VOLSTEAD ACT HAVE DONE TO THE UNITED STATES BY CHARLES HANSON TOWNE New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1923 _All rights reserved_ PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA COPYRIGHT, 1923, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY Set up and electrotyped. Published March, 1923. Press of J. J. Little & Ives Company New York, U. S. A. TO MY FRIEND JOHN M. DENISON AUTHOR’S NOTE The chapter from Mr. John J. Leary, Jr’s, book, “Talks with T. R.,” entitled “On Prohibition,” is used in this volume by permission of, and by special arrangement with, Houghton Mifflin Company, the authorized publishers. Thanks are also due the editor of _Harper’s Magazine_, for his kind permission to include portions of E. S. Martin’s article, and to the Rev. W. A. Crawford-Frost, for his consent to reprint extracts from his sermon. Messrs. Funk & Wagnalls have been most helpful in permitting the use of their files of _The Literary Digest_; and Mr. William L. Fish, Mr. Frederic J. Faulks, Mr. Thomas K. Finletter and Mr. Herbert B. Shonk rendered much assistance in the preparation of this volume. Two chapters are reprints of articles which originally appeared in the New York _Times_. I must also thank Mr. Markham, Mr. Le Gallienne and Mr. Montague for the use of their poems. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I THE PHENOMENON OF PROHIBITION 1 II OUR GREAT UNHAPPINESS 10 III OUR ENDLESS CHAIN OF LAWS 17 IV TOO MUCH “VERBOTEN” 26 V MAKING THE WORLD SAFE FOR DE-MOCKERY-CY 46 VI THE INFAMOUS VOLSTEAD ACT 62 VII A TRIUMVIRATE AGAINST PROHIBITION 83 VIII “THE FEAR FOR THEE, MY COUNTRY” 88 IX DRYING UP THE OCEAN 109 X THE MULLAN-GAGE LAW, THE VAN NESS ACT AND THE HOBERT ACT 120 XI BOOTLEGGING AND GRAFT 129