Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-18
GIVES HIS REASONS.
1T MIGHT no FOR A SMALL TOWN,
hut NOT FOR gOHT
WORTH.
Believes That II the County Goes
Dry II win Not lie Caused
by the city.

~ Furman how he stood ON local OPP
tion, and he replied;
81 am opposed to the adoption of
local option In this contest. In small
towns. where the police force Is made
quate 10 deal with drunken persons,
there may be u necessity FOR local OPP
liun, But In n city like Fort Worth,
wherc the police department Is amply
able 10 protect the people from drank
On rowdyism this necessity does not
exist In the second place, IN small
communities where every body knows
everybody clso's business local option
can be measurably enforced This can
not be truthfully said Of n city like
Fort Worth. The opportunities to
| evnde ana defeat the law are ruch that
1t would be u miserable farce II adopt
ed, The only effect OF rs adoption
would be to lnlure the city with Wills
ky In Dallas and Waco II would be
shipped into Fort Worth IN bottles and
kegs without limit, and the law wouid
and could not prevent IL. / believe that
we would have more drunkenness than
we now have. II would RoTiuusly i'm
pair the revenues OF both city and
county, Besides cutting on the amounts
which are now received from LICENSEES,
II would result In the practical destruc-
| ton Of the value Of a great deal Of
property which now pays a consider
able amount OF taxes. a large por-
tiUn OF our people regard such a law
as an infringement upon their rights,
Among these would be found many of
the first mon In the city, men who
have made Fort Worth what II ~ to-
day. The assumption Of our local OPP
tiun frlcnlR that no one except saloon
Keepers are opposed 10 the law. and
that all OF the good men Of the com
| munity are ON their Side Is not sup
ported by tho facts, IT is not true TINT
! II ..Fl H..
are bad men and are influenced by i'm
proper motives. This assumption of
SELF righteousness on the part OF some
Of our local option friends and COM
domination Of those who oppose them
will not make votes for their cause
among fair minded and Intelligent men,
II IL not argument; II proves nothing.
except the spirit uf intolerance and big
otry OF those who indulge In il.
II local option IL adopted In this
county II Will be by the votes OF the
country people against the wishes and
over the protest OF a majority Of the
people Of Fort Worth. IL requires no
argument 10 sustain the proposition
that no law can be enforced IN com
nunity IN which majority Of the pco-
pie regard II as an obnoxious and in
qulsitorlal measure. The result will be
that an attempt 10 enforce local option
In Fort Worth will stir W great
deal OF bitterness ana strife and Will
lead to endless dscord. II will take
up the time and attention of the courts
To the exclusion Of the other business,
and will prove to be a great expense
and burden To the people. Times are
hard and tnNes high enough already.
The war that tx being made upon sill
yer and the contraction OF the currency
that necessarily follows the attCmpt
TO place this country upon q gold basis
makes property cheaper ana cheaper,
A.. L l..
Local option In Fort Worth win only
Increase this condition OF AFFAIRS among
us. A worse time could not have been
selected for such "a measure as this
This city and county has over two
hundred thousand dollars $500 .OOO) Of
the hard earnings OF the people, col
| lected By taxation, now tied up In llti-
gntion on account OF the failure Of the
bank In which these funds were de-
posted. The court house has lust been
built Mt a cost OF nearly half q mil
lion Of dollars, and is yet to be paid
for
II local option ia adopted II will not
only cut of n large revenue now re-
cciyed, but It will paraly2e the business
| In Fort worth, drive II great deal Of
! property away from US. cheaper the
assessable value OF the othor city Pc p
! erty, aud necessarily raise the taxes
! on the country property, The farmer
] who votes for local option in Fort
! Worth Will not only be voting for
measure that can not be enforced and
| that will cause strife and dlscord and
4 Increase the eXpense and burden OF It'll
! cation, but he Will also be voting TO
| Increase his own taxes. He cannot In
jure the business interests OF Fort
I Worth without iniurlng himself The
/ people OF Fort Worth have never at
l tempted to force local option ON any
/ country community, We have always
{ thought that this was question which
I each community should be allowed to
I settle for itself, and l believe that II
1 this matter Is properly presented to the
! country people they will treat Fort
/ Worth I'm the same way,
| have not tho time today TO go into
1 this matter fully. ] voted for prohlbl-
/ tlon In the state election. But tlis il
a very different matter. There are
4 many other good reasons besides those
I given which will cause me 20 vote
| against local option. and In doing so
I / will be voting for sobrlety. good or
( der and the best interests OF Fort
/ Worth and Tarrant county,