“PROHIBITION IS COMING!”
PUCK, August 4th, 1886.
“The State of Rhode Island has recently passed—to its own great surprise—a ‘prohibition law.’ The state did not really want the law. It was not passed as a matter of principle. The Republicans voted for the law to spite the Democrats; the Democrats to spite the Republicans. No one thought that the aggregate of votes thus cast would make the legal majority. But so it happened. Now, the State of Rhode Island is a small community, and, like most small communities, it is narrow, ignorant, and, save in things material, unproductive. One of the chief sources of revenue upon which it depends is its wonderful collection of Summer watering-places, which bring travel and traffic to the state and put many thousands of dollars into circulation every year. These places are supported by a civilized lot of people from the great cities—people who are accustomed to drinking wine and beer and whatever else they fancy; and, as a rule, in moderation. If they find that the new law interferes with their perfectly legitimate customs in this regard, they will leave Rhode Island for some more liberal and sensible state; and Rhode Island will be so much the poorer, and so much the wiser. No decent man will submit to be put in the category of criminals because a few hysterical women and unbalanced men think that the use of alcohol is as much a crime as its abuse.”—Puck, August 4th, 1886.