Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-27
SOUND ARGUMENT.
ar THE TALK OF A poLifpclAN,
pur THAT OF A WE'LL
KNOWN CITIZEN <,
.u.lrs,r of a Fort worth Citizen
:, !. question OF Intense In
terest to the oity. :

4, a nubllc discussion OF the local
..,ian question at Grapevine on Satur-
~ August "a. Hon. NJ. A. Spoonts
X substance said:
i come before you today, not as
cditIclan seeking office, but as cltl-
Ia Of Fort Worth; representrhs ner
,,l.rssts and speaking to you in her
i.Aalf A financial depression extending
svsr several years has laid such bur-
ssns on the shoulders of her people ms
4 cause their backs to be bowed be-
rs.th their weight, and If the addition
+ Il burden proposed by the adoption OF
,,obbition in this county Is to be add
4 a "a those already so heroically borne
her people, no man can foreteu
mai may be the result. Her people
Have stood the depression with thelr
= Aces toward the enemy and manfully
httllng for the preservation OF her
ppsperity. They have been hopefui
,hat the darkest hours have passed
ma that daylight is just ahead, but
ssy theS are confronted and threaten
m With calamity worse than those
hruugh which they have already
Mssed, and | am before you today to
Invoke your assistance in warding on
5Ak threatened disaster.
The question of prohibition is not a
batter In which you are concerned.
ALREADY your beautiful little town, sur
FUNDED by u magnificent country, mas
hiopted local option, and the people
4 Fort Worth feel that you have been
urced into a contest in which you have
b interest. They feel that false issues
iye been injected into the pending
ampalgn. and that you are sought
b be used as an instrument or tool
b the hands OF more designing pro-
Elbltionlsts to assist them in their
snatlcal zeal to destroy the prosperity
1ni stability OF our beautiful city, the
ounty seat of your county. Every
selnct in Tarrant county except Fort
Worth, Arlington and Arlington
beghts already has prohibition; and
the gentlemen who are engineering
rs campaign and who have forced
As night upon the people OF Fort
Worth had been disposed to act with
lliness they would have petitioned the
'nlmlssloners' court to call the cleo
in embracing that territory not now
Nefed by prohibition, and let the
fople OF that territory determine for
themselves, as your people determined
yourselves. whether prohibition
aolld be adopted. When you iIad your
isauon on This question, you did so
thnut Interference on the part OF
Bot Worth, and II is nothing but right
~ nothing but just that the same
snl Of local elf-government should
accorded 10 Fort Worth that she
per fairness has always accorded
me other precincts in the county
lsn questions Of this character were
hang before their people.
entering upon the discussion OF
4 question today | shall endeayor to
Z NV. II under-tlrst, what Is pro-
Inoh second. what are the benefits
sing from Its adoption? third, what
rs follow It's adoption.
1nmptlon, according to the statutes
lns state, when adopted by any
immunity, county or town, prevents
sue exchange, barter or giving
~ any Intoxicating liquors; and
nr,, l calamity should overtake this
nv as the adoption of prohibition
w pending contest no citizen OF
ilant county can sell. barter. eN-
.nse or give away one drop of in
~ hquor in any form, except
I. X. ine prescription of practicing
IAN, without being a violator OF
" The discussion of the ques-
l Mnai IS prohibition carries with
discrimination OF whether II cam
-eesessiully enforced, and II II can
~, Ihe statutes against muir
.asopoery theft, arson and other
kfls Y. recognized for ages as inher-
N,,siohg are based upon the broad
X suon that the law should pro-
N "a ..sIY man III the enjoyment of
la,ulal rights and prevent others
4 I'M VOWS from Infringing on those
y n ~ !, Is wrong TO take the life of
Il a., 'sliow-nan, inherently wrong;
~. ~ % Appropriate his property;
y IN ~ i" lie In concealment by the
h, ~ highway and like an enraged
En,san.,ce upon him as he passes
n q snsauiigly TO and from bis BUSH
aim uespoil him of his~wealth.
> h pun,shi he reasons underlying stat
q Mil g acts OF this kind do not
WfphIh ,prohlbltory liquor laws.
h non has never been a success,
! Ara VIII be, Fourteen states of
sm ..aSeitlcan uulon have in time mast
NJ NJ ana twelve out of the four
4 sp, !, aiready repudiated 1t and
H. 1,sVh their statute books; and
ttal IN, Iemalning 1t is practically
ana NJ una Is not enforced. Kan
b. erl,,i.'he are stlll dlsgraced by
VII thsi.s upon their statute books
i9fee ellizens make no effort to
y b Inn, nave before me an utter
a s..stassv ~ or the purest and one OF
|fTcao nan VINO ever adorned the
y mar par, par Joel Prentiss bishop,
\ Inv osnws who drafted the first prohlbi,
y. Ne i irt, Jaw that ever was drafted
u o. Nih 9,,sd States, when a member
4 ~ .ssislature Of Massachusetts.
. ri n mus my drafted by him Was fol-
n Ned the fourteen states that
~ 'lAinr pl,,eehloition. and vet after
4 antrfSr ~ Operation for almost halt
s 4 Ne tns ,tt The Integrity of his man
y Won re, u and says that his opin-
~ fanes ns question has undergone
N a, 4, ana that Notwithstanding
4 iysrsnset IN his early life he gave
~ sips srase to the prohibition cause.
slnerd thn KISS OF his ripper years has
IA nm nh that he was wrong. and
ael1u, eharacier of legislation is
4 'sisrred" principle ana can never
tht5n state OF Iowa adonted
}ifly Al that time the RepiIbIi-
s,kly , nal a magnificent minority
"A ahd oyer her political