Project Editor: Jeffrey Miller, History 470: Digital History, Spring 2008

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THE DAILY NEBRASKAN SCOFFS AT RUM RAID

Student Paper Undisturbed by Breaking of 'Volstead's Dream.'

LINCOLN, Neb., Feb. 18.—"Mountains out of molehills" is the way the Daily Nebraskan, University of Nebraska paper, characterizes last week's raid on a barb party when federal agents said they confiscated liquor. Alan Williams, former student, faces charges in connection with the raid.

Says the Nebraskan:

"Recent local incidents relating to America's 'great experiment' have brought forth much comment from the press. The whisperers, too, are hard at work and stories concerning the so-called rum raid at the coliseum Saturday evening grow as they go. Now it appears that the prohibition enforcement officers of this district have completed their intensive investigations of vice conditions about the University of Nebraska and are prepared to clean things up, although, as Harold D. (Three Gun) Wilson, deputy prohibition administrator for the state, points out carefully, conditions on the campus are good.

"Fraternity and sorority parties, according to the newly appointed enforcer of the Volstead dream, will come in for 'observation.' Just what this observation will constitute is not known. Perhaps they hope to see some college students drunk. Of all the people in this naive old world of ours-those who should not drink and be seen are the college students.

"The Saturday incident labelled by Mr. (Three Gun) Wilson as a 'minor affair conducted for the mental effect it would have on the college students,' is the first in many years which merited black headlines on collegiate vice. With the label which has been tacked on the affair it seems that the purpose of the business is to make students lie low only until the scare has blown over. Then the spring drinking season will open up again.

"As has been pointed out in the past the University of Nebraska is not interested in catching student drinkers. The university rather wishes to catch and put out of business those who sell liquor to the college people. That seems to be the wise thing to do. Those who drink intoxicating beverages are as liable as those who sell it, but the end of the present 'scofflaw' period will never come until the sellers are knocked out of business."