Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-24
FIGURES
A StatiSticalLOcal Option
Debate Last Night.
j. O. CUMMINGS AND c. NJ. brown
AT THE COURT HOUSE.
BROWN BRED In MAINE
AND his YOUNG OPPONENT TOLD
HIM HE WAS uNFoRTUNATELY
DoRN-LAuGH ON HIM.
\ Logical, Interesting ana Very
Comprehensive Discussion OF
tha nuastIon.
BROWN BRED In MAINE

Cummings and G. NJ. Brown at the
courthouse last night was logical and
statistical to the highest degree on
both sides, with n few sarcastic pas
sages which enlivened the discourses
both long enough to be trlilc tedious,
though never dull for, to u person
eagerly seeking enlightcnment, such
mass OF solid information was pre-
scented ns TO crafty any reasonable APP
petite for facts in regard to the ques
tons at issue.
Tho criminal district courtroom. in
which the meeting was held. was filled
to Its utmost capacity, the majority OF
them evidently being prohibitiOnlsts,
from the enthusiastic applause which
they gave Mr.. Cummings for some
sharp and spirited rctorts in his closing
address. one OF these reioindcrs In
particular excited the widest hilarlty
and was received with loud ana con-
tlnuous cheers. Mr., Brown had said,
in speaking OF the elements Of resist
ance In human nature and against the
temptations Of liquor that It was Il
good thing to be well born. He had
also testified that he had been born In
Maine In 1857 and had lived there un-
III 1890 md described the utter failure
Of prohibition in that state with much
confidence, himself being the witness
OF the facts which he stated to be
true
Mr. Cummings declared that he was
unfortunate in being born where h.
was. and this brought down the
house
In his opening address Mr. Cummings
adduCcd testimony from business men In
Weatherford and Hillsboro IN evidence
Of the success OF the local option law in
suppressing the liquor traffic In those
places He then quoted from the record
Of the police court ~ Fort Worth to
show that II per cent Of the cases
there from last December to the pres
| ent time had been for drunkenness.
| He then quoted statistics from different
| states 10 show that the expenses of he
| liquor traffic were double the amount
| OF the revenue received therefruln Then
| referring to loud arguments about per-
| sonal liberty, he said he would not have
| been surprised IL barbarians had howl
cd IA they had done about subject
they did not seem TO understand He
| said 1t was a well established rule NJ
! law as well as Civll government that
| man sacrifices ng much of his lndi-
| viduul liberty TO the state as Is
necessary for the best interests OF So
ciety. Under the military law the
obligation was so strong that man
was required 10 give up his life. Nov"
argued the speaker. when the anti
comos up and howls about personal
| liberty, he Is simply trying to back out
! of his contract with society, lie then
described At length the combinations
] bl tNll liUhtnNtN Wnltn conferred In the
! saloons from gambling to corrupt pri-
| mary elections, and declared II things
went on long as they had been going
the people would soon have no personal
| liberty.
Then, referring to remark OF Mayor
| Paddock In his address at the city
hail Ia the effect that II a man would
| keep away from the saloon II would not
hurt him, the speaker again described
the evil influence OF the saloon in the
community and how 1t destroyed the
happiness OF some people who kept
away from 1t. and emblttered the lives
of others who had nothing whatever 10
do with II. He then quoted from james
=. Royd's Political History Of the
United States statement In evidence
that despite many violations, the Neal
Dow law had not been demonstrated
to be q failure.
Mr.. G. NJ. Drown in responding first
made n few remarks about personal
liberty, among saying other things that
the subject touched q responsive chord
In his heart. and referred to the value
which had been attached to It by the
toretRthers and the necessity to con-
tlnuously guard II against all encroach-
ments Then he recalled an Incident
OF the debate al the city hall, between
Mayor Paddock and Mr., Holman. The
mayor was telling how much whisky
woGld be sold under local option when
he had been asked by the manager or
me local option campaign who was
In the audience:
what are You kicking about?"
Taking this query for theme, the
speaker then proceeded to register
twenty-five separate and very vigorous
"klolSs" against the application OF local
option law 70 Fort Worth In the pres-
ent critical stare OF the cltys growth
The lrst wns, the blind tigers would
take the place Oh the saloons. from
, which he passed on to describe the OWLS
Ng.F VlV.ff -
. ing local option whisky. He argued
among other things that Il would COR
rupt the morals OF the physicians and
everybody else engaged In the netari-
GUS business, which was sure TO take
the place Of the regular liquor traffic
upon the adoption OF the local option
law. showing how, as he asserted,
wholesale perjury would result and the
Z honor Of citizens be corrupted on every
side In consequence. He then mentions
ed objections In succession. among
others, that vile he'll holes would take
| the place OF the saloons. that blind
tigers would retail Villainous stuN': that
7 sister cities would flourish on the Jug
and barre. trade to Fort Worth; thai
, u would cut on $4,000 OF necessary
= revenue; that It's effect would be Ia
increase crime and drunkenness: that
4, would close the brewery. throwing
two hundred men out nf employment
and bringing their families to want
and destroy the value OF the plant
there. which was $4,000; that /, would
/, rrault in heavy losses IN taxes tn tho
county and city and in rents To the
property owners, that II would be j
general loss TO all classes OF business
4, and professional men " the employee
~ the saloon and brewery were forced
into idlencss; that Il would result In
/ financial panic In Fort Worth, which
, was Just recovering from long sea,
son OF financial disaster. and cause
i a general decline In property values
that IL would breed violatora OF law
and sncaks; that tho rising generation
seeing their elders constantly enjoyed
In the violation Of the law would DO
, taught thereby to have no respect fol
the law.
Thsa snnging his kicking argu-