Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-09-30
SPEECH on PROHIBITION
BY w. W. ii. Jackman, Mt L%addonia.
Missouri, Sept. IL, So.


cussion this evening is a question that
is agitating the mind of the public ali
over our great country, from Maine
to California. Now, gentlemen, l am
going to show you why prohibition
should be adopted by all the States
not only the State of Missouri but
every State in the union. Prohibi-
ton is the most important question of
to-day, and you will have to cast your
ballot for or against it before many
years. Prohibition is constitutional
it was decided so long before the
war. 1t is right to prohibit the sale
of liquor as a beverage it is right to
prohibit a man from using that which
INJURIES himself. There is a law
against diseased meat, and we have as
much right to prohibit the sale of
whiskey as diseased meat. What
good comes out of it? 1t makes high
er taxes; it causes more misery; it
causes more crime than anything else.
l will now read you a few extracts
from q paper L have, on poisoned
whiskey /: There is not a saloon In
fifty in this city where you can get a
drink of pure whiskey. FOrty-ninc
out of every fifty liquor dealers are
selling whiskey which is neither more
nor less than poison. L would not
drink it, sir. | would not allow a
good dog to drink it," These remarks
were made by a reputable wholesale
liquor man of Pittsburg, and he says
he is ready to substantiate his state
pents by proof that cannot be de-
MED. He makes no distinction be
tween fine saloons and ''holes in the
WALL they all handle about the same
kind of goods. The cheap saloons
may put a little more water IN their
whiskey, but it contains no more poi
son than that which you purchase in
a saloon where oil paintings adorn the
walls and high-priced mirrors set off
to an advantage the fancy bar fixings.
1t is all the same. A law should be
passed prohibiting the r~ectiication
that makes five barrels of whlskey out
of mi Some whiskey is put through
a certain process whereby a large
quantity of the fusil oil is taken out.
The whiskey is purchased by recti-
fiers who will draw, perhaps, all out
Of q barrel but five gallons, fill IL up
with cologne spirits, a large percen-
tage of which Is fusil oil and then add
drugs to give it the proper color and
taste. A law which allows men to
mix up poison and sell it simply for
the purpose of making money should
be repealed. This whiskey often
finds it way into sick chambers and
the results a be easily imagined.
In states where they have prohibit
ton and sell no Intoxicating liquors
they are better men; they have less
quarrels, fights, etc. Society has the
right to protect itself, and a man has
no right to injure himself and injure
the community by getting drunk.
Take the records of the police courts
in cities and you will find that over
one-half the crimes are caused by
whiskey. Interview most Of the con
yicts in our prisons and they will tell
you they were brought there by
~whiskey. Why do people drink the
deadly stuff? There are lots of men
who cannot say no when asked to
drink, and we want a law that will
stop the sale Of liquor and then these
men will not have to say no. Saying
no is like the Yankee merchant selling
eggs at nine pence per dozen. A
customer came in and he sold him a
dozen eggs for nine pence, and on
figuring the matter up he founi he
was losing money, and he must sell
them at a shilling a dozen. In a
short time another customer came in
and asked the price of eggs. The
merchant says: Eggs, to-day, are
worth a sh-sh-sh-Oh, hang it,
take them at nine pence a dozen. l
can't say shilling Applause. That
is the way it is with a man saying no.
He can't say it. thank you, gentle
men, for your attention and good
order.