The Opelousas courier., 1894-07-28
w. c. T. U.

w. G. I. U.
President, Miss stplla Truman.
V.-Pres. and Tr.Zdrs. r. R. Settoon.
Rec. Secretary, Mrs. s. T. Crawford.
Cor. Miss Florence Truman
PLEDGE.
/ hereby solemnly promise, God help.
ing me, to abstain from all alcoholic Ii.
quors as a beverage. including beer
wine and cider, and Nat l will employ
all proper means to discourage the use
of and traffic in the same.
The election is over. July II, 1894
might have been a day long to be re.
membered as that upon which our par.
ish declared itself free from the thrall.
dom Of the liquor traffic. Instead Of thai
the votes cast upon that day confirmed
the despot's .power. But this is only
the beginning, of that be sure. Oul
parish must be free. In the American
struggle for Independence, were not
the British at first victorious?
Tremble. King Alcohol, the revolution
has begun!
A few things were brought out into
striking relief during the late whiskey
campaign. The first point that we no.
tice is this The r~espectability of the
parish was almost unanimous for pro-
hibition. The fact is undeniable. The
workers upon the anti side were Q)
saloon men themselves; (2) a few, a
very few Of their best customers, men
who have lost pride in their love for
drink; (3) a still smaller number in
whom conscience was stihed by the
hope OF gain, in plain terms, men who
were paid to labor among the negroes
and country people in the cause of the
liquor traffic.
These, taken together, may have com
prlsed about Is per cent. OF the white
vote Of the parish. At least IS petcent
of the white men favored prohibition.
And here, We say, all honor to the
country people! Thrice honored be
Lower Mamou and Chataignier where
not a whisky vote was cast!
Money and drinks were employed
freely as brides to voters. Each negro
who voted for whisky was handed a
ticket emitting him to a generous drink
additional to those already received.
The fact came out when some of these
tickets were presented to a merchant
who keeps liquor, but who favored pro-
hibition-and like a true man, refused
to have anything to do with the bribery.
These sovereign voters with their
drink tickets were amazed to learn that
this man would not take the little
after they'd voted for his interest so
nobly.
Let US reiterate the prophecy made
by Mr.. Lewis at the we'll attended and
enthusiastic Plaisance barbecue: "If
it be true,n said he, "that breweries and
distilleries of New Orleans and Cincin-
natti have supplied the saloon men of
st. Landry to the amount of five thou
sand dollars of campaign money let
me say to you, if liquor win this year,
these same men will have to spend fifth
thousand in order to defeat prohibition
if the issue be again brought up next
year. And brought up it will be, of
that l am certain"
1t is impossible to close any remarks
concerning the late election without
making some acknowledgment of the
noble work done by Rev. Simon, pastor
of the col0red Baptist church of Ope-
lousas. Side by side with the white
workers, this educated and consecrated
man has stood to bear the brunt of the
toll and surely his influence has been a
potent factor for good. That the white
men delighted to honor him as q man of
brain and ar earnest co-laborer, was
evident to all who saw their treatment
Of him at the Plaisance meeting, where
his stirring address called forth volleys
of applause from white and black of
both sexes. At the conclusion of Mr..
SimOn's speech, every white speaker
crowded upon the stand to shake his
honest hand and messages of congratu-
latiOn were sent by many In the audi-
ence.
Justice Donate has also done much
among the men Of his race to lead them
to a higher plane Of mind and morals.
IT'S a pity that one drink, lavishly
served at a bar, can, with most Of them,
outweigh the soundest logic of these
two thinking and reasoning men. One
arguments, applaud at the proper places,
eat with a zest the barbecued meat fur
nished by earnest white prohibitionists /;
the next, woful change! see them TAX
ing drinks and ballots from the hands
OF saloon men, voting to perpetuate sa-
loon licenses and receiving in return
tickets for more drink. Then say that
an educational qualification for suf-
TRACE is not needed.
The contrast between the prohibition
meeting held Monday night, 10th inst,
at the parish courthouse and the whis-
ky meeting held at the same time at
the gymnasium hall, was most marked.
Both were attended by both colors, the
former by many ladies. The prohibi-
t tion meeting 1 Mas quiet + sd;o orderly, an and la. at
elephants going quietly to their homes.
Not SO, the whisky meeting. 1t was
loud, noisy, boisterous. Atan unearthly
hour, yells, screams and imprecations
announced to startled and awakened
sIeepers that the advocates of liquor