Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-04-18
Beneficial Effects of Prohibition in
Clarke County.
TO BE CONTINUED.

The Leg stature of 1884 en- cted
law prohibiting the sale or giving
away vinious and spurious liquors in
Cl;rGe county The law went into
effect from and after its passage, but
provided that those who already had
licenses might continue 20 sell under
the same until they expired. At the
time of the enactment Of the law the
traffic had already been suppressed by
county petitions in the towns of De-
Soto, Quitman and Shubuta except
thatin the two latter places it was still
sold by the gallon. The last saloon
in the country closed its doors only
few weeks ago and now the entire
country is wholly liberated from the
curse. The last license expired in the
town of Shubuta on the lst of May,
1881, 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 the surround
ing country that now doubts that the
law has esulted inmuch good. Even
those who were engaged in the traffic
theu.seiv&s, coisce3e that the guam
tity of liquor consumed, as well as
the amount Of drunkenness, is much
less than formerly.
To satisf5 ourselves fully on the
subject, a citizen ofthe town and my
self asked, and obtained leave from
the station agent Of this place to ex-
anime the books in his office and see
whether the shipment Of whisky had
been as great since the prohibitory
law went into effect as it had been
prior to its passage. The following
is the result Of our investigation.
From the first Of May, 1884, when
the law took effect, to the 1st of Jan.
1885, there were 2S3 gallons shipped
to the town. during the same time
the year preceding, when liquor was
sold by the retail, the shipment
amountedto 2,513 gals which shows
a reduction in eight months of 2,230
gallons. Should the law operate as
effectually for the four ensuing
months as it has up to the present
time, there will be an annual diminu-
ton of 1887 gallons. An examina-
ton of the railroad books at Quitman
and Enterprise, discloses that before
any of the saloons in those towns
we're closed there were 2,279 gallons
shipped to the former, and I 1886 gal
Ions to the latter. We have no report
from DeSoto, the only other town in
the county where liquor had been
sold, but think that | ,140 gallons,
which is only half the shipment to
Quitman, is fair estimate. Suppos-
ing that the law will operate as we'll
in those towns as it has in Shubuta,
the annual reduction will be $3.50
gallons. Add this amount to 1881
the number Of galIorsssAich the law
will save Shubuta, and We have
saving to the whole county in one
year, of 1891 gallons.
This whisky was sold by the gallon
from $3.50 to $500. 1t was vended
by the retail at 10 cents per drink,
and those who profess to know say
that there are 60 drinks in one
gallon which would be at the rate of
$50 per gallon. Supposing that s4.00
per gallon is a fair average of all
sold, then the amount of money
VII ch will be saved to the country
annually by our prohibitory law will
be S49,7S The free school fund of
which the county is the recipient
is, if mistake not, but little more
than $4,000. Yet men oppose Pre-
hibition upon the ground that the
privilege tax paid by the saloon keep
er maintains our free schools.
The whole amount of taxes paid by
the people of Clarke, both State and
county, is some less than $4,000
which is between one-third and one
fourth of what will accrue to the
county in consequence Of our pro-
hibitory law. The assessed value of
all the horses in the county is $92,-
$50, Of the mules SIS, ,450, and Of the
carriages and other wheeled vehicles
s23 663; from which it will appear
that the amount of money which will
be kept in the pockets of the people
in consequence of this beneficent law
is equal to more than half the value
Of all the horses IN the county, is