St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-10-11
,eE'he Saloons and Prohibition i'm
Lincoln COumty-The Great
Battle Fought, and Won
BY the PrOhibi.
tiOniStS.
IN, o. Picayune.)

Anti Prohibition picnic at Old Brook
haven, Miss. Anti-Prohibiti0n speak
.ors were invited to defend their cause
Everybody was invited to attend, as
some supposed to witness a grand trI-
.umplI of the friends of whisky. Col.
j. j. Williams was brought down from
,4rrerada to assist Capt A. HOsklns, Ot
BrOokhaven, who champions the cause
of saloons in BrOokhaven and Lincoln
comfy. The Rev. j. B. Gambreli, Bap-
tIst clergyman of Brookhaven, and Rev.
DR.. C. B. Galloway, Methodist, of jack
son. represented the ProhibitiOnists.
The gathering was large; everybody
went who could get conveyance. The
interest in the discussion was intense
The audience sat upon benches provlu-
ed for them, or sat on the gronnn' or
stood under the shade trees, ana asLen-
ed four hours to the four speakers With
ont showing any disposition to beat
retreat. think by far the largest part
of the crowd favored prohibition
Col. Williams warmed the ladies
against being influenced by extravagant
statements made by Prohibition speak
ers in regard to the evils of the whisky
traffic: said that women were not most
alonored and best educated in teetOtA
countries, but in countries ab0nndlng IN
.listileries and saloons that God would
not have spread the elements OF aico-
hOlic drinks so wide, it for no good;
and "Did God not know what he was Waass
about when He made these elements 7"
said the speaker.
He said that whisky brings a hundred
million dollars revenue to orr Govern
.ment and people; that it makes the
body strong and healthy, solid as rock
aud like Gibraltar; said that this IL a
great national economic question, aud
,thnt the supply of whisky shows the
wisdom of the Deity in creating such
blessing. He said that from Moses
down to 'S4 it has brought happiness 10
millions that the Bible does not con-
ndemn intemperance that God tayors
the whisky cause; that, IN Col. VS.
own language, eve have too gooh aud
too smart God, or we'd all gone 10 the
dogs long ago"
Col, Williams took special pains to
STATE, tn the apiience that he hinselt
-Orofessed TO be a Christian and had
great respect for the Bible. He said
sshat Paul recommended Timothy 10
take a little wine, and he (COl. W.) had
no doubt that wine and fried chicken
would make better and braver man OF
Timothy. He was severe on preachers
who advocated prohibition, and Thought
bigOtry, fanaticism and selflstiness at
thought prohibition does not prohibit
IL merely closes the front door. and the
dealer sells more liquOr than before AZ
the back door, and teaches drinking
men to steal whisky instead Of drinking
it openly like men at the counter or "a
licensed saloon.
Col. w, stated that women in teetotal
countries, like Turkey, are degraded,
land in countries where whisky Is used
freely, as iD the United States and En-
gland, women are noble, free, highly
respected, etc, inferring that whisky
makes women noble in the United
States, and the want of whisky degrades
them in Turkey.
He furthOr stated that whisky does
not produce crime-that Cromwell was
sober, that when a man fires house,
wrecks railroad train, or lays in wait
to rob and assassinate fellow man, he
does not get drunk beforehand. cit is
your fend of sobriety that does these
actR.r
Though Col. Williams reminded the
audience that he is member of II
church, his speech showed that kind Of
prejudice and hostility TO the preachers
of the Gospel and religion, and against
members of churches who favor pr0hi-
bition, that seems to be born in saloons,
and nursed by those who champion the
cause of saloons.
Col. Williams referred to the mar
rage feast at Cana, where the Saviour
turned water into wine, in manner
which shocked the feelings of the reli-
giOus portion of his audience, and prob
ably OF all believers of the Bible who
heard it. He spoke of the Saviour aR
furnishing wine to frolicking set of
fellows who had used up the small sup
ply of pOOr wine furnished by the close
listed father Of the bride, and that they
were all so tight" that they could not
tell the difference between good and
bad wine. So the Saviour concluded to
make for them eighteen Ralloons of
GOOD frOIic. "Ah y said the speaker, 81
wish had been there to get some OF
chat wine.v He spoke of the Saviour in
the familiar terms that an epicuTe would
sneak of the chief cook at city restau-
gant.
In the language Of the Widder Green:
Rev. Mr. Gambrel, in reply, stated
that Col. Williams had spoken abOut
she effects of whisky and strong drinks
in some of the countries of Europe, but
had said little or nothing about the
good or evil results of drinking int0xi-
eating beverages in the United States.
That lle (Gambrei) would speak particu-
aarly about what it is doing t0 destroy
she happiness and welfare of the people
of this country. particularly OF its evil
effects in Mississippi, and Lincoln cOun-
", and of the good effects of prohibition
wherever it has triumphed in any part
of this State.
aibiE, aud greatly check drunkenness
wrh la STG oFo in