The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-07-29
JONES ON PROHIBITION.
How it Has Increased the Value OF Prop
erty Everywhere In Georgia.

Tho st. Louis Globc.D c.Dcmocyat reports
Sam Jones as saying at Maryvillc, Mo. /:
Some people say, "Why, our town will
go down unless we sell whisky, and our
taxes will go up" Law, mel what a
good pull you can get on poor, selfish,
surdid, old devil with an argument like
that -"my taxes will go up and our town
down." Look a here, brother, is money
worth more than tho reputation and
character, and more than the soul? It
was Jesus Christ himself that asked the
question:
"What will it profit you if you gain
the whole world and lose your soul2 \
And no drunkard shall enter the
kingdom of heaven"
Suppose I were to 60 here to the city
council Of Maryville. Do you sell whis'
key in Maryvillei [Silence and smiles
gave assent to the question. The grand
est, proudest and highest spot that God
Almighty has located in America is this
County and this town. I never have
seen such country, and after God has
blessed you with the most fertile soil and
the grandest blessings in this world, you
cannot rest without sleeping it in liquor
and debauching yourselves, soul and
body. God pity you. Applause. Now
if you lived down on the bare hills of
Georgia, where we can't make more than
three or four bushels of corn to the acre,
and where we can't make but two bushels
of wheat to the acre, could understand
how you would need little liquor to help
you keep up. Laughter. But in this
God-fayored land, with all the blessings
of providence showered around you, you
are not satisfied without debauching your
families and your homes with this accurs-
ed stuff called liquor. Be ashamed of
yourselves. Do better or give up this
beautiful country to decent people.
Laughter
Why, down in Atlanta and in Georgia,
you can just read the papers, they have
got ten thousand lies in them about what
is happening in Georgia. How prohibi-
ton don't prohibit; that the State is
going to the dogs, and that property is
going down. Look here you can't 60 into
Georgia and buy property to save your
life, at as low figures as you could buy it
before we put whisky out of the Counties
in that State. Everywhere property has
gone up-everywhere. That's fact.
And then tell you another thing, and
that is this: When those old barkeepers
and liquor men have moved out of our
State, somehow or other, just as soon as
they get moved out, the atmosphere gets
clearer [laughter and things look better.
They do, sure, and things quit smelling
like they did Laughter. And after
we get them all out we won't need any
disinfectants down there from this time
on. Laughter. Now, let me tell you,
if man has got but one boy, he wants
him to be sober, don't he2 If he hasn't
got but two boys, he wants them both to
be sober. If he has got ten boys, how
many of them is he willing shall be
drunkards? How many? Mother, if
you had ten boys how many of them are
you willing shall be drunkards? Or,
brother, if we were to have but one citi.
zen in Missouri, We would want him
sober man, wouldn't wei If we we're to
have but ten citizens we would want
them all ten sober men, wouldn't we?
Aud if we have two and half million
wouldn't we be better off if they were all
sober men? What is it that produces
drunkardss If We SOW whisky, we reap
drunkards. Do you catch the idea2 and
want to tell you that every voter in this
country is responsible for every drunkard
in this country until you have done your
level best to stop this sowing of whisky
in our midst.