Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-09-01

AMY SIN anu CRIME " OAi
the increase. that local option law
risidiy enforced would be better every
way than our present laws loosely en-.
forced This argument Is not In point
because the question before us " as 10
tho wisdom OF adopting law diner
ing from the one we now have. II Is
not question now OF enforcing law.
II the present wise and salutary laws
are not enforced what warrant have
you for saying that less wise. less
effective law Will be more rigidly en-
forcedf We have reason TO doubt your
ability 70 enforce this local option law
in large city. All agree that our
present laws are beneficial and COM
prehensive. and that they give large
Increase OF revenue TO us. Many
doubt the wisdom OF the proposed local
option law, and II Is absolutely certain
TO Yield no revenue. The small fines al
lowed to be imposed will be swallowed
up In the cost of maintaining the pris-
oners arrested and convicted Of viola
ting the law. They lay In jail at the
public expense. The larger the SEN
fence the greater expense to the pub
lie OF course. We punish and impov-
erlsh ourselves In Furnishing them. Is
this wise-is II the best we can do?
think you viii agree with me that IL IL
not. Do you ever stop to consider
the great injury you do the good peo-
pie OF Tarrant county and Fort Worth
II you adopt local optlon2 How far II
overtops the benefit, Remember this
law Is intended only for the purpose of
restricting the sale OF liquors. II does
not forbid the drinking of them. 1t IL
drinking that causes most " not all OF
our intemperance. Why have the law
at all II 1t does not decrease the vice
OF intemperance, That Is the whole
purpose OF restricting the sale. Now
n our present law III as efficient as.
al "a Ia Tagran a N
peranre, and II is much more efficient
according to statistics as you must Rd-
nit Then ON that ground alone YOU
have no reason for asking us To change
our law for yours. IL in addition to
this we can show that under our law
us II now exists great revenues How
into our public treasury while under
your none flows In but great sums
flow out 10 prosecute and maintain
prisoners IN jail at public expense, then
failure. II under our present system
AS a business proposition your law Is
failure, IL under our. present system
our city and county has stedCily M
creased in wealth and population, has
bulded large buildings, has furnished
daily employment for hundreds Of la
borors at fair wages and Htlll further
increase OF wealth. employment and
population lR within our grasp, and II
BY the adoption Of local option capital
cease. laborcrs be thrown out OF em-
ployment business houses vacated, our
population driven elsewhere. our busl-
moss and trade decreased and driven TO
our rival cities, then as a matter Of
public policy ought we to change our
law an win certainly agree with me
on these things. You know that
Grapevine and Arlington are two Of
your largest towns outside Of Fort
Worth They are about the same In
wealth and population. the same dis
lance from Fort Worth ana Dallas, the
some railway facilities the fertility Of
their surrounding farms about tho
same, the morals OF their people are
about the same, Grapevine has local
option; Arlington has open saloons,
The certified statement of your
county clerk Of the record OF your
county court showing prosecutions for
crime growing out OF the liquor traffic
for tho last year shows more than
three times as many in Grapevine,
local option town, than IN Arlington,
high license saloon town,
Does this comparison teach us any
thing The same county, the same
officers, the same grand Jury, yet the
stream Of crime which Rows on and on
from the beginning OF tho world to tho
end OF time, swolls and overnnws TO
an extent three times as great In
Grapevine, u local option town, than
In Arlington, high license town. 10
YOU know that there are more than
one hundred business houses In Fort
Worth rented to and occupied by sn-
looms at u average rental OF one hun
bred dollars a month. Ten thousand
dollars a month, one hundred and
twenty thousand dollars per year re-
CeiVed By citizens OF Fort Worth from
rents and applied 10 the education and
support OF themselves and families. the
schools and churches, the taxes OF this
county city aud state, This vast for-
tuno would be- lost TO them and this
county. where has 1t gone do you
sayY
To our rival city Dallas, to enrich It's
citizens and build up that city at our
expense. Every saloon employs at
least six men, The average would be
more than that ana tho average wages
over 500 per month onch-- $4,000 a
month In the labor roll lost to the trade
and business wealth OF Fort Worth,
expended FOR the support OF those lab-
orlnH men and families. Scventy-two
thousand dollars per year Where does
Il go II you vote local optlon7 70 Dali
las, OF course increase her powers
and wealth., which Fort worth loses
by local option, We have two Ice man
ufaotorles putting ON the market 500
! tons OF Ice Per day, The saloons take
! one third " not more, OF this, " local
/ option comes one OF more OF these lee
| factories Will close or the force OF
! hands In each be cut down. Another
/ loss In siles of Ice, another cut IN OF
I the pay rolls OF wages, Where does Il
/ EoY To Dallas, of course, Dallas wins
/ what Fort Worth loses, The volume
\ OF trades and branches OF employment
j In other business concerns are already
/ occupied and this groat loss TO tho re-
/ souroea OF our people, this decrease OF
1 the money IN circulation strikes other
business houses and concerns. They
are making nothing now, business la
( too slack and dull, money too scarce
| with them now, What. oh what, will
! they say or do when local option
comesG Cut down the force; DISCHARGE
more men, to seek employment else
where; cut on the daily support OF
more heads OF families; vacate more
business housea Who win give these
discharged men employment. who will
make up the loss OF rents, who the lost
wagesY No one, They are gone-all
gone, Where are the families OF the
| honest, hardworkng lahoring man
| Gone TO swell the population OF cities
more prudent, more wisely governed
could multiply reasona for hours
| why local option should not be voted
upon our city and county. and You
can not give one single reason why
II should, Think a little, Take plenty
OF time and tell me why. I am here 10
discuss this matter over. may never