BEAKING NEWS: Volstead the coach sign five play Centennial to Remember…

The Volstead Act: Not Toast, But a Centennial to Remember

Imagine the mayhem at Cana when Jesus changed water into wine for the guests at a wedding if Prohibition had been in effect in ancient Palestine. Imagine the centurions clubbing the celebrants for having a good time and busting Jesus for moonshining. Bootlegging was not one of the charges made against Jesus during the trial that took place three years later and resulted in his death. Other claims against him included blasphemy and tax evasion.

A far more contemporary endeavor—and one that was notably American—was prohibition. The project originated from moral crusaders who were content to use state authority to further their battle against Demon Rum. Big Booze, the organized crime syndicates that valued the government’s dirty work of pushing out the smaller, less fortunate competitors, turned into their biggest supporter.

It all began on this very day, January 17, 1920, a whole century ago. The US Constitution’s 18th Amendment, which was ratified by the states the previous year, outlawed the production, distribution, and sale of alcoholic beverages. On January 17, 1920, the Volstead Act, the enabling law, was passed, and the police began their campaign against alcohol.

Many years before the insanity started in 1920, former President

Personally, I don’t believe in using force to further moral reforms, not even the force of the law. I value argumentation, education, persuasion, and most importantly, the effect of fashion and example. Until these options run out, I would not consider using force.

Drug stores were allowed to sell “medicinal whiskey” to treat everything from toothaches to the flu, and sacramental wine was still allowed for religious purposes (the number of dubious rabbis and priests rapidly surged). Every 10 days, “patients” were allowed to legally purchase a pint of hard liquor with a doctor’s prescription. This medicinal alcohol was frequently accompanied by doctor’s directions that seemed absurd, like “Take three ounces of stimulant every hour until stimulated.”

This journey into statism’s violence and hopelessness progressively diminished its appeal. As I stated in “Prohibition’s Foes: Still Teaching Lessons Today,” principled, well-reasoned resistance to it eroded the meager intellectual foundation it ever had. The nation has had enough by 1933. When a jury is considering a case against alcohol, at least one