 | Last login: 10 hours agoL is a 32 year old person from Hiding From Zombies & Robots In, Would You Believe, Tonga. Some things I have done on my list of 100 things to do:
Partied at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Attended Bastille Day in Paris (and visited Paris for the first time with the one who I will love forever). Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Taught children things I am passionate about. Lived like a native in another country for 2 weeks. Stood on an active volcano. Attended the Haight-Ashbury Beauty Pageant. Rode out a major earthquake. Met two men who walked on the moon. Had something published. Drove a car at 110 mph.
Tell me what you think of me...
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- http://www.collegeafterhours.com/content/media/wewantbeernow.jpg
 Jun 17, 2008 1:32pm  (166 reviews) humor, story http://www.collegeafterhours.com/content...- Here is a fascinating bit of history that has gone from our collective consciousness. But once again I can help keep the history of the world in perspective...
The photo appears to be a Prohibition era protest against the banning of alcohol. But, in fact, the photo was taken in 1937, four years after the end of prohibition. While the 18th amendment was repealed, local jurisdictions still could pass sumptuary laws, and in 1936 that is exactly what happened in Warren County, New Jersey. At the November 19th meeting of the County Board of Freeholders a resolution was introduced. Realize that the elections has just occurred and that the start of the meeting had the swearing in ceremony for two new board members, Elihu Hardwick and Jeremiah Franklin. Now, the Warren County Board of Freeholders should only elect one new Freeholder in each election cycle, but since Murphy J. Hightower had been caught swimming naked in the Delaware river in late September with one Miss Lani Kinderson, his abrupt resignation from political office left two vacancies to be filled (Irving Horrace had decided against running again, as he was not as spry as he was at the last election when he had turned 84 the week prior). People were unaware that Hardwick and Franklin were both members of the Temperance League of Upper Musconetcong River Valley. Their wives were two of the founding members and definitely cowed their husbands into the notion that the county should be dry.
With only three Board members, the resolution was quickly passed. The Belvidere Enterprise ran the story on page one the next day. Most people did not care because they assumed it would not be strongly enforced. Unfortunately, Sheriff Oren P. Calhoun was also a member of the Temperance League and a vigorous enforcement campaign ensued.
Winter in Warren County is a rather dull time and without the social lubricant of some beer, the community became a rather moribund group of people. But there was little to be done as the women of the county, while not really teetotalers, were swayed by the Reverend Issac Tobias who preached a fierce attack on drink (some saying he was channeling the spirit of Johnathan Edwards). This is not to say the women were of weak mind, just that Issac was a good orator and was not half bad to spend an hour on Sundays looking at.
The young men had had enough and on March 9th, a protest started at the East Hackettstown Bowling Alley. Signs were painted and the angry mob set forth to the Freeholders' meeting. The women did not participate (as is seen in the photo) and with no one drinking, no one got out of hand. The Freeholders held strong (at least two of them).
The men of the county were left with no choice but to withhold themselves from the women. Now, when the roles were reversed, such actions result in a quick resolution, but such a strike works in either direction (it just took a week or so longer to convince the women that the men were serious). Of course, many of the men were quite confounded thinking that maybe they could live without beer if the at least could have the comfort of female companionship. But others helped them stay strong. The women of the county capitulated. But all this action did not seem to be useful in altering the Freeholders' opinion. Well, it did not take long for the women of the county to let Mrs. Franklin know that her award winning rhubarb custard would never again receive a blue ribbon at the county fair if things continued this way. Elvira Franklin thought that the sins of drink were less than the sins of not sharing her rhubarb custard with the county and quietly convinced her husband to change his position (it took less than a week...). And the short-lived Warren County Dry Period was washed away
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