The clarion., 1885-01-28
FoR THE CLARIoN.l
Beneficial Effects of Prohibition in
Clarke County.

The Legislature OF 1881 enacted law
prohibiting the sale or giving away OF
vinous and spurious liquors III Clarke
county. The law went into effect from
and after its passage, but provided that
those who already had licenses
might continue to sell under the same
until they expired. At the time of the
enact ctneDt OF the law the traffic had
already been repressed by countef peti
tions in the towns of DeSoto, QuiLman
and Shubuta; except that lii the TWO
latter places 1t was still sold by the gal
lon. The last saloon in the county
closed its doors only few weeks ago;
and now the entire county is wholly
liberated from the curse. The last
license expired in the town of Shubuta
on the 1st of May, 1884, since which time
we have been enabled to observe the
workings of the law. We know of no
unbiased citizen in the town or in sur
rounding country that now doubts
that the law has resulted in much good.
Even those who were engaged in the
traffic themselves, concede that the
quantity of liquor consumed, as well
as the amount of drunkenness, Is
much less now than formerly.
To satisfy ourselves fully on the sub
lCEty fb SlllLSu VI lIiC tOhH anu NY eCtl
asked, and obtained leave from the sta
tion agent OF this place to examine the
books in his Office and see whether the
shipment of whiskey had been as great
since the prohibitory law went into effect
as 1t had been prior TO its passage. The
following is the result of our investga-
ton: From the lst of May, 1881, when
the law took effect, to the lst of January,
lSSR 81
the town. Daring the same time the
year preceding, when liquor was sold by
the retail, the shipment amounted to
2,5l3 gallons, which shows reduction
in eight months of 2,230 gallons. Should
the law operate as ehecJualiy tor the
four ensuing moLths as it mas up to the
present time there will be an annual
diminut;on of 1857 gallons. An eX-
animation of the railroad books at Quit
man and Enterprise. discloses that be-
fore any of the saloons in those towns
were closed there were 2,Z79 gallons
shipped to the former, and 1896 gallons
to the latter We have no report from
Desoto, the only other town in the coun-
ty where liquor had been sold, but
think that l40 gallons, which is only
half the shipment to Quitman, is a far
operate as Well III those towns as 1t has
in Shubata there annual reduction viii
be 8, ,560 gallons. Add this amount 10
1851, the number OF gallons which the
law will save Shubuta, and we have Il
saving to the whole county in onc year,
of l2,447 gallons.
This whisky was sold by the gallon
from 81 80 to 81 1t was yended by
the retail at 10 cents per drink, anu
those who profess to know say that there
are 90 drinks il one gallon, which would
be at the rate of $500 per gallon. Sup
posing that S4.0U per gallon Is tar
average OF all sold, then the amount OF
money which will be saved TO the count.
annually by our prohibitory law will be
S49, 1SS. The free school fund OF which
the county is the recipient is, if | mis-
take not, but little more than So, 1900.
Yet men oppose prohibition upon the
ground that the privilege tax paid by
the saloon keeper maintains our free
schools.
The whole amount of taxes paid by
the peopl. of Clarke, both State and
county, Is some less than SD 900, which
| is between one-third and one-fourth OF
what will accrue TO the county in con
| sequence of our prohibitOry law. The
| assessed value of all the horses in The
county is $92, $50, of the mules S59, ,45O
and of the carriages and other wheeled
| vehicles S23, ,663; from which it will ap
pear that the amount OF money which
will be kept In the pockets of the people
| in consequence of this beneficient law is
equal to more than half the value of all
| the horses in the country, Is almost
equal to the value of all the mules and
| is more than twice the value of all the
carriages and other wheeled vehicles
1 The assessed valuation of all the per-
sonal property in the county is s40l ,2i4
If, therefore, the people will invest what
prohibition will save them in personality
| its assessed value in four years will le
double what it is at present. If the en-
| tire State was under the operation OF
prohibition and each county should be
4 benefited to the same extent that Clarke
| has. the amount which would be annual
ly saved to the State would De 50, 70U, ,00U.
| This is nearly four times the sum it
takes to run the State government each
year, the amount disbGrsed by the State
in 1882 being $l,05I AL, and in 1883
1886, 400.
The above is only the direct and i'm
mediate effect Of prohibition in Clarke
county. No account has been taken of
the money spent foolishly by inebriates,
of the expense incident to detecting and
Furnishing the crime caused BY liquor,
nor of The cost of providing homes. food
and raiment for the orphans and idiots
made such by this dsua in solution j
venture the assertion that no law in our
statute book has effected half the good
which would accrue from law prohibit
ing this vile and abomiDable traffic
| throughout the State. God speed the
day when every foot of territory in Mis-
sissippi will be under the operation of
prohibition. A happier and better day
would then dawn upon rs, and Missis-
Isippi would soon take her place among
; the proudest commonwealths that were
lever encircled by the blue canopy of
heaven. d. w HEIDLRBERG.
/ Shubuta, Miss, January 20, 1885.
Ir Is said that all the flies leave city