The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-09-26
Prohibition vs. Anti.Prohibi-
tlon.
Editor Home Journal:

to ruin the country?
lnotice in your issue of the 9th. un.
der the heading of "Anti.Prohibition. /"
over tine familiar name of TRAMP" an
article warning us of the evils that are
to come upon the earth, and advising
that the people get together and with a
single voice denounce Prohibition.
lie opposes Prohibition ON the
grounds that it has proved failure
wherever tried. and offers some very
alarming statistics to prove its failure
IN Kansas. lfa few isolated facts will
prove thing we might lie willing to
give up.
Gov. st. John, of whom he speaks as
1.-THE Mogul," delivered an address in
Brooklyn On. Y. Tabernacle in Janua.
riy, 1882, in which he is quoted as say,
ing, referring to the law: "All over the
East publications we're made purport.
ing to come from Kansas, that the State
was being depleted; that business was
destroyed-in fact, that the law was the
greatest disaster that ever occurred du-
ring the history Of Kansas; worse than
the grasshoppers and the drouth, and
all other calamities that have befallen
US. | went to the record The assess
ment roll for 1881, under Prohibition,
showed that the valuation Of personal
property alone was $40, 243, 900 greater
than it was in 1880 under free whisky
rule, and a little over $1,000, 900 great
er increase than any previous year in
the history of Kansas"
Tennessee needs just such puritan.
ISM"
Bro. Tramp says they we're selling
right under Gov st Johns nose-1l7
saloons in Leavenworth. See what
Gov. st. John SAYS about Leavenworth /:
" In 1871 the city Of Leavenworth
had 10000 population and about 100
saloons, and she has chung to the saloons
ever since. In 1881 her population
has declined from 10000 to less than
IL 900, Notwithstanding the fact that
she has had saloons enough to have
given her population 100000, if they
are necessary for the prosperity Of a
city. In 1871 the assessed valuation of
the property of Leavenworth was S.
99l 1927. In 1881, after she had Rugged
her saloons for ten years in spite of the
advice Of true friends to do otherwise,
the assessed value of her property had
declined to 1921 1886. 66-a falling off
in ten years Of so, 40, 1884 The on
ly city of its size in the Union that has
suffered such a loss on account of the
policy pursued by it; the only city in
Kansas which has lost in population or
wealth during that time. All the 9th.
ers have grown, but Leavenworth has
clung to her saloons until they have
nearly killed her We find she has
openly violated the law since the first
day OF May, 1881"
In this instance we are willing to adj !
nit that Prohibition is failure but
are the results desirable, and do they
furnish reasonable ground for opposi.
ton ! think not. We don't claim
that prohibition law would completely
stop the making and selling of whisky
no more than our laws against murder
and theft prevent every possible in.
stance of the kind. Tramp might OPP
pose these laws, and all other laws, for
the same reason.
We claim that instead of legalizing
and making respectable q by the
of Government the greatest
evil in the land, n prohibitory law
would make whisky selling crime, and
none but the lowest and most debased
would engage in it. The buyer would
he participation in the crime, SO that a
large majority of moderate, respectable
drinkers would become abstainers aud
give to the youths af the country better
examples and prove blessing to their
families and the community in which
they live.
MIR. Tramp advises the red.snooted
old topers, ex-saloon keepers who have
grown rich selling rum, and now are
ashamed of their ''old pards," to return
some of the filthy lucre to the poor chill.
dren to whom it belonged, and array
themselves in "sackcloth and ashes.
The above shows that he is not ignorant
of the evils of the liquor traffic, and |
dare say he is directly or indirectly in
terested in a whisky shop, or he could
not, with his information and judgment,
advocate their continuation.
Prohibition seeks to remove the cause
of their unpleasant realities so it could
not be said he has grown rich selling
rum, robbed the "poor. children" and
is now ashamed of his cold pards," but
sold pards" (many of them who have
been ground to the dust in ignOminy
AMI shame by the iron grasps of the
drink demon.) could engage in some
praiseworthy avocation with equal foot
ings, and both enjoy in its fullest sense
"the inherent right of holding and using
ones own earnings within the limit of
public good" satisfaction would certain
~ follow, and the poor children be ben
Gifted.
Bro. Tramp favors a good license
law. lam opposed to license law Of
any character, because it only serves to
make respectable the habits Of intem.
perance. :,
He SAYS, 81 am for the sure and