I am writing of the evils of bootlegging not only as they apply to a great city like New York. In a certain western city of some 250,000 inhabitants—a city in a State which went dry long before the constitutional130 amendment8—a woman told me that all she had to do was to ring up her favorite bootlegger when she was giving a dinner-party, and practically anything she desired would be delivered at her door within fifteen minutes. It is very difficult to get evidence against these diligent9 business men, and I have encountered only a few people who have conscientious10 scruples11 about dealing12 with them. It is hard to be consistent concerning Volsteadism. If the Act itself plays merry pranks13 on sea and shore, why should not human beings likewise forget their dignity once in a while?
The bootlegging evil has begotten14 another evil. Graft15 is stalking through the land, hand in hand with it. They are boon16 companions. They are inseparable. Where one is, there you will always find the other. Brothers in sin; Siamese twins. Damon and Pythias, Ruth and Naomi, were not more devoted17. But their unholy alliance has none of the virtues18 of those ardent and ancient friendships.
There is always, in any illicit20 transaction, a man higher up who must reap his share of the illegal profits. Usually, the American public rebels at the middleman, resents his grasping proclivities21; but nowadays, being humanly thirsty, it has no time to quibble; and so long as it gets its modicum22 of spirits, it has little fault to find with the humanly fallible protector of the bootlegger who must receive some attention. It is willing to pay almost anything for whiskey or gin, and, used to being “done,” it good-naturedly131 recognizes the authorities along the way who are in a position to open stores of the desired stuff, and see that it is delivered to the crowding bootleggers. It is an endless chain; and to become wealthy overnight has always been the dream of the average American. With Prohibition, he sees an opportunity such as never existed before, and thousands are taking advantage of the situation.
When one considers the amount of revenue which formerly23 poured into the coffers of the United States treasury24 because of the tax on alcohol, and what the loss of that money must mean today to the Government, one realizes that in some manner the deficit25 must be made up. The good old genial26 public is again the goat, to fall into the vernacular27. Prices have risen since the passing of the Eighteenth Amendment. Hotel proprietors28, who formerly counted upon a considerable income through their bars, now find themselves forced to charge higher prices for food. Time was when, if one failed to order wine with one’s meals, an extra twenty-five cents was asked. It was taken for granted that red or white wine was a part of one’s ration29, as it were; and those who failed to indulge in the luxury were looked upon as rather curious specimens30 of humanity. A table d’h?te, with vin rouge31, was the regular thing; and the wine was included in the price of the dinner. With the going out of all forms of drinks, naturally there had to be a readjustment of menu-cards. There is a tax now almost everywhere132 for bread and butter; and a cover charge is made in practically all the metropolitan32 restaurants. Gradually, one notes, these “extras” are creeping in. One cannot blame the hotel-keepers. Rents and wages have increased since the War; therefore they must ask more for their rooms, as well as for their dining-room service. And where one formerly tipped in moderation, the average waiter scorns anything less than fifteen or twenty per cent of the amount of one’s check. The good-natured and long-suffering American people are imposed upon at every turn. And, denied the privilege of consuming liquor openly, they give dinners in their homes, where at least there can be a semblance33 of harmless gayety. This causes fewer people to go to the smart restaurants in a city like New York; and generally there is no supper crowd at all. Lights are dimmed early; and while I am holding no brief for late hours, I do think that human beings should be permitted to organize their own lives, and decide for themselves whether a supper-dance after the theater or the Opera is harmful. At luncheon34 time the hotels present another aspect. They still do a thriving business; but, as I have said in a previous chapter, for many and many a year there had been little drinking in the middle of the day.
With fewer people to serve, and fewer meals to serve, hotel men have been driven to ask more for that service which they continue to render. The one bright thought in this painful readjustment is the fact133 that the Prohibitionists must help the rest of us to make up the loss of revenue. Their checks, hitherto much less than ours, are now quite the same. But, then, I imagine few of them have ever cared for brilliant lights and smart napery, preferring to dine in the dim sanctity of basements and back rooms at an hour so early that daylight has hardly gone when the “supper bell” rings. The color and joy of the Ritz or the Plaza35 would scarcely appeal to a fanatic36.
But to get back to the bootleggers. There are many degrees of them. Some are honest; others are not. Once in a while a gin bottle will contain nothing but water; and sometimes whiskey will have been diluted37, and near-beer sold as the regular thing. Yet with an established trade, and recognized business, conditions are improving. Even as there is honor among thieves, the latest model of bootlegger must play the game squarely; and those of the better class frown upon chicanery38, and are disgusted when spurious material is sold. They realize that if inferior liquor is delivered, sales may soon cease altogether. Therefore those who have their best interests at heart—and their name is legion—are cautious and painstaking39, and will honestly tell a customer whether he is buying synthetic40 gin or pre-Volstead stuff.
I do not pretend to know the workings of this nefarious41 trade; but I do know this: that many Italians and Germans and Frenchmen, among others, are doing a thriving business, and are only too glad to134 donate part of their enormous commissions to the local ring who, in return, offer them complete protection. And from talks which I have had with various restaurant proprietors who likewise pay graft regularly, I know that our Government has lost the respect of practically every foreigner; for he sees not only his own people defying the law, but the Americans disobeying it under his nose. He says that so long as there are grapes on vines and apples on trees; so long as fermentation is a natural process, there will be drinking in the world; and he cannot understand why it is against the law to take a sip42 of red wine with one’s spaghetti, or a nip of brandy with one’s coffee. It is all incomprehensible to him. His children grow up, seeing him have no reverence43 for the laws of the country he has adopted.
Of course the Prohibitionist5 will say that there is a very simple solution of this. These foreigners within our gates should succumb44 to the inevitable45, and obey the law. True. I wish that everyone would obey the law. The way for children not to be punished at school is for them to behave themselves. But it is difficult to force people to do something which it is inherently distasteful for them to do. We invite immigration. We welcome hordes46 of people to our shores—people who, we know, are accustomed to taking wine and beer with their meals; and then we impose strict measures upon them, suddenly, and expect them to fall into line. We should educate them first. We should let them know what135 the Constitution means, what it stands for. We should insist that they learn our language, study the history of the United States, absorb the meaning of America before they attain47 citizenship48. We are loose with them; why should they not be loose with us? They see that we are none too careful when we allow them to cross our threshold; why should they help us tidy up the house after they are safely within it?
The truth is, if we would but face it, that we are thorough in few things. We make a great pretense49 at civic50 virtue19 and national righteousness, and we neglect the fundamentals. To the core of things we seldom wish to go.
The bootlegger, laughing in his sleeve at the boasted and vainglorious51 spiritual integrity of America, is but the natural result of our own folly52. He is as inevitable a part of so-called Prohibition as feathers are a part of birds. As time goes on, his business now conducted in secret may be conducted openly. He may become a recognized figure in society, since we can never suppress him utterly53. He is like the bounder in every club, the nouveau-riche in every drawing-room. He has come to stay, more’s the pity. For an enormous percentage of Americans approve of him, the while they disapprove54 of him. They know his faults; but they say to themselves that even Congressmen have faults; and they know down deep in their hearts that many a Congressman55 and many an exalted56 Judge patronize the bootlegger,136 receive social calls from him, and even speak to him on the telephone when they are “out” to others. The bootleggers know all this. Why should they, therefore, venerate57 a system which is not treated seriously by those in the highest places? We are asking of them something superhuman. And the latest development is that the bootleggers are now paying income taxes, openly stating the source of their earnings, with no fear of getting into trouble.
Meanwhile, the propaganda of the Anti-Saloon League goes on in the newspapers, with this and that report of how a “ring of bootleggers” has been wiped out. We read of sensational58 raids in the big cities; and there is a cry that federal officers have “broken” the whole system to pieces. Thousands of quarts of Scotch59 have been confiscated—where it is placed, no one seems to know. Dry agents, in their zeal60, even search hearses, and make the undertakers—to say nothing of the bereaved61 relatives of the deceased—quite angry. The time may come when X-rays may be taken of innocent citizens, to discover whether they have been drinking liquor. Do not smile. Anything is possible when a great country allows itself to be governed by an organization of fanatics62 who have intimidated63 Congress and seem bent64 upon ruining our shipping65 industry.
But it would appear almost impossible to get honest men to act in the capacity of spies. There is an everlasting66 “shake-up” of federal officials who are supposed to see that the Volstead Act is enforced.137 Here again the human element enters—that element which the fanatics never recognize. The temptations are too great for the average man. He knows that bootleggers are getting rich. And soon he sees that if he closes his eyes and opens his hand, he too can become a Cr?sus. At first, it may be that he hesitates. There is danger of being caught. Well, why not take a chance? he says to himself. Others are doing it. After all, one has to live, and a six-cylinder car would be nice. Thus is the voice of conscience quieted; and soon it ceases to whisper at all. That little Italian restaurant in his district—ah, yes! they dispense67 drinks to the favored few who know the ring the bell must be given. It would be so easy to pretend that he does not know of its existence; and Tony, after all, is not such a bad sort. He’ll hand over the kale, without a question, without a murmur68.
And so one more federal official goes to the dogs, a man who until yesterday was honest. Knowing that his lucrative69 career may be brief, he has determined70 to make hay while the sun shines. And Prohibition has created another crook71 in the wicked city, though of course it has cured a drunkard in the virtuous72 country. And the Anti-Saloon people are perfectly73 satisfied.
Are you?
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1
prohibition
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| n.禁止；禁令，禁律 | |
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inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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Prohibitionist
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| 禁酒主义者 | |
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earnings
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| n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得 | |
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opulence
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| n.财富，富裕 | |
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amendment
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| n.改正，修正，改善，修正案 | |
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diligent
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| adj.勤勉的，勤奋的 | |
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conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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pranks
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| n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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begotten
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| v.为…之生父( beget的过去分词 )；产生，引起 | |
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graft
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| n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接 | |
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boon
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| n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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illicit
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| adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的 | |
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proclivities
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| n.倾向，癖性( proclivity的名词复数 ) | |
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modicum
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| n.少量，一小份 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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deficit
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| n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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vernacular
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| adj.地方的，用地方语写成的；n.白话；行话；本国语；动植物的俗名 | |
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proprietors
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| n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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ration
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| n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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rouge
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| n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红 | |
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metropolitan
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| adj.大城市的，大都会的 | |
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semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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fanatic
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| n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的 | |
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diluted
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| 无力的，冲淡的 | |
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chicanery
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| n.欺诈，欺骗 | |
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painstaking
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| adj.苦干的；艰苦的，费力的，刻苦的 | |
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synthetic
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| adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品 | |
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nefarious
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| adj.恶毒的，极坏的 | |
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sip
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| v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量 | |
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reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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hordes
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| n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落 | |
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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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citizenship
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| n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份) | |
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pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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civic
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| adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的 | |
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vainglorious
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| adj.自负的；夸大的 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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disapprove
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| v.不赞成，不同意，不批准 | |
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Congressman
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| n.（美）国会议员 | |
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56
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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venerate
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| v.尊敬，崇敬，崇拜 | |
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sensational
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| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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fanatics
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| 狂热者，入迷者( fanatic的名词复数 ) | |
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intimidated
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| v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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dispense
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| vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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lucrative
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| adj.赚钱的，可获利的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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crook
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| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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