Happy Repeal Day!
H.L. Mencken celebrates the end of Prohibition
On December 5, 1933 Utah ratified the 21st Amendment and repealed National Prohibition, allowing millions of Americans to enjoy their first legal drink in 14 years (With the emphasis on legal. Prohibition was far better at driving alcohol production and distribution to the black market than it was at stopping consumption). Interestingly, Prohibition’s passage and repeal may have had more to do with budgetary issues than shifts in ideology. Boudreaux and Pritchard argue that the adoption of the income tax in 1913 gave governments an alternative source of revenue to liquor taxes and finally let politicians pander to the decades-old Temperance movement. But with the drastic decline in incomes during the Great Depression the Federal and state governments needed to find new sources of revenue and the repeal movement gained momentum. Of course, there are other, more humorous historical accounts too. But whatever the reasons for ending Prohibition, I plan on celebrating my freedom tonight by raising an alcoholic beverage at 2100 hours in a toast to Repeal Day. Cheers and Stay Wet!
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