that, and yet it is the one phase of the question which interests us.
Some weeks ago we happened to observe a letter from a man who wrote to
one of the newspapers protesting against the proposed settlement in
Ireland on the ground that, "It's so damned sensible." We have
somewhat the same feeling about prohibition. It is a movement to take
the folly out of our national life and there is no quality which
America needs so sorely.

If enforcement ever becomes perfect this will be a nation composed
entirely of men who wear rubbers, put money in the bank, and go to bed
at ten. That fine old ringing phrase, "This is on me," will be gone
from the language. Conversation will be wholly instructive, for in
fifty years the last generation capable of saying, "Do you remember
that night--?" will have been gathered to its fathers.

Of course, there is no denying the shortsightedness of the forces of
rum. They cannot escape their responsibility for having aided in the
advent of Prohibition. They were slow to see the necessity of some
form of curtailment and limitation of the traffic. Such moves as they
did make were entirely wrong-headed. For instance, we had ordinances
providing for the early closing of cafés. Instead of that we should
have had laws forbidding anybody to sell liquor except between the
hours of 8 P.M. and 5 A.M. Daytime drinking was always sodden, but
something is necessary to make night worth while. Man is more than the
beasts, and he should not be driven into dull slumber just because the
sun has set.

The invention of electricity, liquor, cut glass mirrors, and cards
made man the master of his environment rather than its slave. Now that
liquor is gone all the other factors are mockery. Card playing has