Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-27

Iowa prohibltory legislation, In doing
so this party sounded its own death.
knell, and II was swept from power,
ana never again held within Its hands
the reins Of government in Iowa until
u pledged itself TO repeal the obnox-
ious laws which 1t had passed during
Inc days OF Its prosperity, and with
ms pledge II returned to power and
wiped from the statute books of Iowa
the laws which more than ten years
previously II had succeeded in passing:
ana iowa today has arrdyed herself
IN line with the great list OF American
states that believe more In the liberty
or the citizens and the rights OF per-
sonal freedom and self-government
than In fanatical effort to enforce
upon others moral Ideas In government.
Wherever prohibition has been passed
crime and taxes have increased. and
prosperity has fled from the borders OF
the state adopting II. In recent issue
OF the Portland Herald on Portland,
Maine, state in which prohibition has
been In operation for more than forty
years. II was said
Crime is alarmlngly prevalent.
Murders have continually increased
year by year. Our jails and prisons are
unpleasantly full. Robberies and bur
glafies are occurring In all directions
Crime Of all kinds is Increasing. One
hundred and thirty-four liquor sellers
in Portland, one hundred ald twenty
seven In Bangor. and ffty-five In Lew
iston."
This. my friends. does not look
like prohibition was a success in
Maine, Notwithstanding the earn
eat efforts of the citizens of
that state for period of
more than forty years to enforce this
law. What has been said OF Maine
is equally true Of all other states whore
any effort has ever been made TO en-
force this character of legislation. In
1856 the city of Atlanta, one OF the most
magnificent and proudest cities in all
| the Southland, tried the experiment OF
prohibiting the sale of Intoxicating Ii
quor. Two hundred and one business
houses and nine hundred and twelve
| dwellings We're vacated by the opera
ton of the prohibitory liquor law.
Taxes increased, values. rents and
/ trade were disastrously affected. The
cost of administering the city govern
| ment was increased over $4,000. The
police force Of Atlanta was increased
20 per cent, and Sun found itself mad
| equate to cope with the harvest of
crime following in the wake Of prohi-
| billion. The Atlanta Constitution, the
greatest OF all Southern newspapers.
used the following language with ref
erence 10 the effort to enforce prohibit
ton in Atlanta:
1.-THE operation Of the law drove
| many NAludnle ana enltTDIlHlnE Glll-
Zens from Atlanta. These, 1t Is estl-
mated by the officers OF two of the
leading banks Of the slty, took away
with them in cash some S3,OO0OO0. The
loss in annual commerce to the city
from the enforcement Of the law was
estimated by thirty OF the leading mer-
chants. bankers and business men,
none of whom ever sold liquor, at be-
tween six and seven millions Of dol
lors."
Its results we're so disastrous, and
the effort to enforce II such n failure,
that the citizens OF Atlanta, at the
earliest opportunity, swept 1t from
their statute books.
The Indian Territory il another
mournful example Of the failure OF
government to control the sale OF
liquor. There 1t has been felony for
years, punishable by imprisonment in
the penltentary. for any man to Inn
port, sell or give away Intoxicating
liquors. These laws have been backed
by the entire force of the United States
government, and that Territory for
years has been battle ground through
which have tramped armies Of United
States marshals, endeavoriug In vain
to enforce prohibition. Compare II to-
day with Texas. Here law Is reasona-
bly, well enforced. peace and plenty
abound; while that country, favored
by God with salubrious climate
magnificent soil and splendid capacity
for development, has become the ref
uge for the outlaw from every land,
until life liz unsafe and murder follows
fast uLon the heels of murder, and
robberles and outlawries OF every kind
are OF daily occurrence. IL with all
the machinery of the United States
government at the bnck of the liquor
law in that Territory, failure has
been made in the effort to enforce II,
based upon what experience In the
past can the prohibition advocates In
Tarrant county hope 10 enforce prohi-
hition in the city of Fort worth?
What now, my fellow stizens, are
the benefits which 1t * claimed prohl-
bitiOn will confer upon the people OF
this county? It's most enthusiastic
advocate does not contend that they
have the right to say to an American
citizen, you shall not drink wine
YOU shall not drink beer, or anything
else that you may choose to drink"
This they concede would be violation
OF the fundamental rights of the citi-
zen; but they seek indirectly to do
whnt they cannot do directly. They
scelt to prevent the citizen from drink
ing by taking from him the ability to
crafty any taste which he may have
for strong drink. The result of this,
they claim. will be beneficial and make
men better morally than they are when
exposed to the temptation OF the sa-
loon: and this is all they claim for
prohibition. II prohibition could be
enforced: II In all the experience OF the
past a single city OF the size of Fort
Worth could be pointed to as an Illus
tratlon OF the successful enforcement OF
the law, their claim might be entitled
to a respectful consideration. But with
out the ability to point to single in
stance where drunkenness has ever been
decreased by prohibitory liquor law
we are forced to the conclusion that In
their fanatlcal zeal they are deter
mined to destroy the business of the
liquor men and bankrupt the prosper
ity Of a community in revenge for their
inability 10 enforce their ideas of NOR
allty and sobriety.
These being the only benefits which
It IS claimed viii flow from prohibition.
wish to cal your attention TO some OF
the evils. independent OF those which
have already enumerated, which fol-
low always the effort to enforce this
character of legislation. ] am opposed
TO prohibition because II interferes
with the fundamental rights OF the
American citizen; because II destroys
his personal freedom and places
restriction upon his individual liberty.
Mr.. Jefferson. speaking to the question
OF the personal freedom of n citizen,
snys:
Our legislators are not sufficiently
appraised OF the lawful limits OF their
power. Their true office Is to declare
and enforce only our natural rights and
duties, and to take none OF them from