ain district has been drinking beer and light wines
since 12 A.M. on Rosh Hashonah in the year one up to and including
twelve midnight on June 30, 1919, y'understand, and seeing no harm in
it, understand me, not only would an act of Congress fail to change the
hearts and conscience of such people, but there could be an earthquake,
a cyclone, and anything else which a confirmed Dry would call a judgment
on them people, and still they wouldn't see no harm in it."

"Then what is the country going to do to enforce the prohibition law?"
Morris asked.

"I don't know," Abe said; "but one thing is certain, you can't change
people's habits on and after a certain hour on a certain date by putting
a law into effect on such date. You might just so well expect that, if
the Senate should confirm the provision handing over Shantung to the
Japanese, all the Chinamen in Shantung is immediately going to open
stores for the sale of imitation expensive vases and fake silk
embroidery, start factories for the manufacture of phony Swedish
safety-matches, and do all the other things which Japanese do so
successfully that any reputable business man is willing to take a chance
on getting indignant about Shantung without even asking his stenographer
to look it up for him."

"But I thought you thought that prohibition would be a good thing, Abe?"
Morris said.

"I do," Abe said. "I think brown stewed fish, sweet and sour, the way my
Rosie cooks it, is a good thing, but at the same time, Mawruss, I
realize that my taste in this respect is supported only by what you
might call a very limited public sentiment, consisting of Rosie and me,
y'understand, and the rest of the household couldn't stand to eat it at
all. So, therefore, when we have sweet and sour fish we cook for the
rest of the family eggs or meat, and in that way we have happiness in
the home. Now a country is a home for the people in it, ain't it, and
the main thing is that they should stick together and be happy, and how
could they be happy if even the great majority of the people tells the
rest what they should and shouldn't eat or drink?"

"But you admit that _schnapps_ is harmful, don't you?" Morris insisted.

"And I also admit that sweet and sour fish ain't exactly a health food,
Mawruss," Abe said. "In fact, you wouldn't believe what a lot of
bicarbonate of soda Rosie and me uses up between us after we eat that
fish; but even so, Mawruss, after you have said all you could say