Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-30
LETTER PRODUCED.
KIDD HAD SAID PRoHIDITIoN WAS
A FAILURE.
He Was Asked TO Explain ut the
Joint Debate ut Moody Taber-
nacle Last Nights

The Joint debate on local option an
nounced by circulars on the streets
yesterday for last night at the Moody
tabernacle between ]. a. Kidd mer-
chant of Springtown, and j. p. Nlcks
OF Fort Worth came Off on schedule
time with a slight change Mr.. Nicks
was taken sick yesterday afternoon
and could not appear. so Mr.. ID. z. Or
rick, of the well known firm of Hogg-
Bett & Orrick, represented the anti side
OF the question in his stead. There was
an audience OF about 500 people present,
n sprinkllng OF ladies being on hand,
which should have caused little better
order and more respect for the speakers
than was accorded to either.
The points of discussion were three;
l. Does prohibition prohibit?
2. Is 1t eNpedient?
3. Is it in accord with the genius of
our government
These three questions Mr.. Kidd main
tanned strenuously in the affirmative.
while Mr.. Orrick presented the argu-
ments on the negative
Mr.. Kidd claimed that the local op-
tlon laws OF Texas are the finest on
the statute books and are the easiest
to enforce and IL they are not enforced
1t Is because the mean, low-down, dirty
officers will not try to enforce them.
The speaker stated that he had been
hard opponent of prohibition and had
worked against 1t, but when he found
In his own experience ut Springtown
that prohibition did prohibit he
was converted and become prohibl-
ZIONIST. He used Springtown, Wealth.
erford and Hillsboro as Illustrations
sustaining his proposition, and predicts
that the day when the wave OF pro-
hibltion will roll over the entire country
and triumph over all opposition as not
far distant. He told numerous stories
and entertained his audience, while
some Interruptions from the audience
gave him opportunities for repartee.
Mr.. Orrlck opened his remarks by
defending tho character Of one Of Fort
Worth's foremost citizens which had
been dragged into the remarks of the
previous speaker through little spat
with an auditor He admitted that his
opponent was n good Joker, but this
question Is not one to be laughed out
of court, and in well chosen and effec-
tive language, which commanded the
earnest attention OF the assembly, he
poured out an argumentative discourse
that contained some telling hits. His
first knockdown was scored when he
read letter written by his opponent
a little over a year ago, in which the
writer denounced in the strongest lam
guage the results of prohibition in
Sprlngtown, saying It was failure.
that there was more drunkenness than
ever before and that business was de-
moralized.
The speaker then called attention to
the ract that the comparison of Fort
| Worth with the village of Sprlngtown.
or with any other Of the towns named,
could prove nothing, owing to the dis
/ parity OF size and other conditions,
| That n meet comparison would have
| been with Atlanta. the only city In the
| United States OF the size of Fort Worth
which had tried the local option plan,
and then he drew with a few bold
! strokes the picture OF the condition
] there during the few years Il was i'm
iorce-buslness demorallzed. houses va
Gated. taxes increased and drunkenness
rife In every quarter.
Maine, Vermont and Bleeding Kan
sas are the only states which now hold
to the prohibition idea OF the thirteen
or fourteen which have tried the ex-
pertinent, and he asked whether we are
now in condition to try such experl-
ments In the face of such experience
and after just passing through the
fiery ordeals of panic and hard times
Mr., Orrick also maintained that II
was not In consonance with the spirit
OF our system of self-government TO
have II dictated to us as to what we
should eat, drink or wear. That virtue
could not be forced on any one moi
even on Adam and Eve by the All
mighty, who placed the temptation he
fore them so that they might reach
heaven by the exercise of their own
manhood and womanhood and free vo-
lltion. w.
Mr.. Kidd occupied a few minutes In
retoinder, but repeated calls for the let.
ter from the audience showed maj
that was a home thrust.