How Did The Anti-Prohibition Corrupt The Government

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On December 17, 1917 The House of Representatives approved the 18th amendment which seized the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcohol, and which was soon approved by the Senate. America was officially dry and people had mixed feelings about it. Before prohibition there were numerous problems like corruption, crime, worker safety and child abuse. Workers would come to work drunk or not show up, and this would place a bad image on American businesses. Also, many men were spending all their money on alcohol when the country needed all their resources so they can fight against Europe. Prohibition was enforced through the volstead acts and was a way of cleaning up life and the cities in America. What persuaded America to reconsider Prohibition? …show more content…

In the political cartoon by Winsor McCay he depicted Uncle Sam as the government who is engaged with anti- prohibitionists like bootleggers, racketeers, gangsters and dope sellers. The image is of all these people joined together happily holding hands. This image represent the connection the government has with anti-prohibitionists. Despite they are the ones that made the prohibition law they still participate in drinking alcohol and being with these bad guys. This picture represents how corrupt the government is and how they are going against the laws to fulfill their personal needs that others have too. The government is seen as hypocrites because they are the ones jailing and punishing those who go against the laws when they themselves are participating in illegal activities with bad people. (Document A). In addition, in the document Respect for the law/ Two-Tiered Justice by Mabel Walker Willebrandt she explains how unjust the government treats people who goes against the law by punishing them, when the government is engaging with people like bootleggers. It is shown that Mabel realizes how unfair the treatment is to anti-probitionsitlists. Why do they have to go to jail and be fined when they are not the only ones doing the crime. It’s not fair to punish one person for doing something that another person is also doing. The government should respect their own laws they abide by. If they say something should be a law then it should be expected that they of all people follow that law. But if they are punishing others and not themselves for going against the law it represents how corrupt the government is getting. (Document D). The government officials failed to follow their own law by going against it and because Prohibition was so corrupt there was no way it was going to

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