The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1883-09-19
SECOND AMENDMENT MEETING
LASE SATURDAY.
An Able Address by Hon, Mills Garder
Of Fayette County.

A large meeting of the friends of the
Second or Prohibitory Amendment, was
held in the Court House Square last Satur-
day afternoon. A stand was erected on the
north side under the shade of the trees,
and seats were brought from the Court
House aud City Hail which would accom-
modate five or six hundred people. These
were all Allied and probably us many more
people were standing outside.
Promptly at o'clock the meeting was
called to order by the Chairman, Judge
Thompson, who read letter from Hon
Chiffon A. White, of Brown county, to
Mrs Thompson, regretting his unavoida-
bic absence on account of pressing busi-
ness in the District Court. Hon Mills
Gardner Was then introduced and proceed
ed to address the meeting, holding tho close
attention of his audience for nearly two
hours. His address was one of the strong
est, most logical aud convincing we have
ever heard in favor of Prohibition, and we
regret that it could not have been heard by
every voter in the county. He began by
referring to the great importance Of the
question and made strong point by stat
ing the impossibility Of any voter taking a
neutral position on the Prohibitory Amoud-
meut. He showed that every vote not cast
at all, either for or against the amendment,
would be practically counted against it,
and therefore it would be impossible for
any voter to escape the responsibility of
deciding one way or the other. He laid
particular stress upon this point, because
many supposed that by not voting at all on
the amendments they would remain neu.
tral.
Mr.. Gardner then rapidly sketohed the
history of the liquor traffic in Ohio, and
showed that it never had been really
licensed under either the old or new Con
stitution. There never was any special
license granted in Ohio to sell spirituous
liquors to be drank on the premises Un,
der the old Constitution there was q law
forbidding their sale in quantities OF less
than one quart but an exception was made
in favor Of tavoru-keepers, who were al
lowed to sell to travellers only. This law
applied to spirltuous liquors alone aud did
not include ale, wine or beer, the sale OF
which was never prohibited in our State
Mr.. Garduer thought this was one Of the
greatest mistakes ever made by temper
auoe people, as it was done under the be
lief that these miIder liquors would moi
intoxicate, whereas statistics show that a
least three-fourths the drunkenness tha
now prevails IN our large cities Is cauaeC
by them. He referred especially to thi
hilltop resorts and beer gardens Of Qiueiu
natl, and spoke of the demoralizing effect
Of the enormous consumption Of ale au,
beer in those places. 1t led to the opel
violation of the Sunday law, aud iurie
would perjurs themselves rather than con
vict offenders under the law. But thi
was not the worst evil growing out of tAes
beer gardens. Women as well as men wer
becoming addicted to intempeTanoo, sn'
the Chief of Police of Cincinnati state
that tue houses OF prostitution IN that clt
are alloi with the daughters of respectabl
families, who owe their ruin to this cause
while the number of illegidmate births il
the hospitals has taariuny Increased Tbes
were painful facts to speak of but the
were as true as they were terrible, an
should arouse the attention Of every goo
.s4s--.. A.. AL. .I-r't,t, ,.o.oesft % % i so,
something more effeetual to save sOciet
from these appalling evils II is nyw